//.di.'ol. 


^  tut  ®Uc«logJa/  ^ 

^V*  PRINCETON,  N.  J.  '^ 


Purchased   by  the    Hamill    Missionary   Fund. 


BV  2766  .P6  D7 

Doyle,  Sherman  H.  b.  1865. 

Presbyterian  home  missions 


Hy  per.  ..f  Woni.in's  Heard  of  Home  Missions 


rXK    INDIANS 


PRESBYTERIAN 
HOME     MISSIONS 


An  Account  of  the  Home 
Missions  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church    in    the    U.    S.   A. 


SHERMAN  H.'  DOYLE,  D.  D.,  Ph.  D. 


PHILADELPHIA 

PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION  AND 
SABBATH-SCHOOL  WORK 

1902 


Copyright,  1902,  by  the  Trustees  of 
The  Presbyterian  Board  of  Publication  and  Sabbath- 
School  Work. 


DEDICATION 


To  my  boys 

Cullen  Parrish  and  Sherman  Ernest  Doyle 

this  book 

is  affectionately  dedicated 


FOKEWORD 

The  work  of  home  missions  in  this  country 
has  been,  in  large  measure,  identical  with  the 
work  of  the  Church  and,  accordingly,  the  history 
of  home  missions  is,  in  large  part,  the  history  of 
the  Church.  If  it  is  true  that  the  organized 
work  of  home  missions,  as  now  represented  by 
our  Board,  is  only  a  hundred  years  old,  it  is  be- 
cause up  to  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury, all  church  work  was  literally  home  mis- 
sionary work.  To  live  was  to  be  aggressive. 
The  older  East  was  then  a  frontier  region  and 
settled  pastors  were  forced  to  be  missionaries  or 
they  failed. 

Moreover,  the  truth  that  foreign  missions  and 
home  missions  are  one,  and  not  two,  has  its  proof 
in  the  primitive  stages  of  American  Christianity. 
The  Indians  were  aliens  though  they  were  the 
aborigines,  and  EdAvards  and  Brainerd  and  Whit- 
man were  as  truly  foreign  missionaries,  as  were 
Speer  and  Loomis  among  the  Chinese  of  San 
Francisco. 

We  shall  not  be  far  wrong  if  we  say  that,  in 
the  days  before  1802,  the  absence  of  organized 


VI  FOREWORD 

committee  or  board  for  home  missionary  work 
was  not  because  of  a  lack  of  the  spirit  of  mis- 
sions, but  because  all  work  was  missionary  work 
and  all  growth  was  aggressive  gain. 

When  one  comes  to  think  of  it,  it  is  strange 
that  no  history  has  ever  been  written  embracing 
the  whole  scope  of  Presbyterian  home  missions 
until  now.  Certainly  it  is  late  enough  for  such  a 
record  to  be  given  out  when  our  Church  is  about 
to  celebrate  the  first  century  mark  of  her  organ- 
ized home  missionary  endeavor.  It  is  no  figure 
of  speech  that  patriotism  and  home  missions  are 
inseparably  united.  ]^either  can  stand,  in  the 
mind  of  the  Christian  citizen,  without  the  other. 
No  man  can  measure  the  blessings  which  the 
modern  home  missionary  has  brought  to  the 
making  of  this  country.  The  direct  results  are 
mighty  and  permanent  and  of  primary  impor- 
tance ;  but,  in  addition  to  these,  the  indirect 
blessings,  upon  the  social  life,  the  intellectual 
spirit,  the  moral  tone,  and  the  public  policy,  of  our 
western  communities  are  beyond  measure. 

There  is  an  element  of  romance  in  our  com- 
mon conception  of  the  life  of  a  foreign  mission- 
ary. We  think  of  him,  too,  as  preeminently  the 
apostle  of  hardship  and  self-sacrifice.  I  would 
be  the  last  to  remove  this  impression  in  so  far  as 
it  is  true.  The  spiritual  aristocracy  of  the  elect 
of    God  are  largely   represented    among   these 


FOREWORD  Vll 

brave  and  godly  and  devoted  men  and  women, 
Avho  have  left  the  home-land  behind  and  given 
their  lives  to  the  work  of  laying  the  foundation 
of  the  kingdom  of  God  and  of  Christian  civi- 
lization in  pagan  soil.  Theirs  to  labor  and  to  wait ; 
they  often  see  little  outcome  from  their  toil ; 
others  will  see  it,  for  some  day  it  is  sure  to  be 
seen.  They  build  their  short  lives  into  a  future 
which  is  seen  by  faith  alone  and  yet,  with  un- 
daunted patience  and  perseverance,  they  labor  on. 
I  have  seen  these  devoted  brethren  in  many 
foreign  fields,  and  I  know  full  well  how  great  is 
their  faith  and  devotion.  But  the  home  mis- 
sionaries can  often  match  them  in  hardship  and 
loneliness  and  difficulty  of  task.  They  go  off  to 
Montana  or  to  Arizona  and  their  friends  think 
little  of  their  venture.  They  are  "at  home." 
"  Old  Glory  "  still  waves  over  them  in  the  des- 
erts of  Nevada  or  in  the  green  valleys  "  where 
rolls  the  Oregon."  They  need  no  meed  of  praise, 
no  word  of  cheer — and  too  often  they  get  none. 
The  foreign  missionary  gets  his  "  year  off  "  now 
and  then,  but  our  solitary  home  missionary, 
plodding  on  year  after  year,  never.  I  have  seen 
something  of  the  life  and  work  of  our  home 
missionaries  in  the  West,  and  I  believe  that  for 
hard  work  and  poor  pay  and  small  stint  of  appre- 
ciation and  all  else  which  the  world  and  the  flesh 
eschew  and  fain  would  avoid  the  home  mission- 


Vlll  FOREWORD 

ary  in  our  western  states  and  territories  is  the 
peer  of  many  of  those  who  are  carrying  the 
gospel  to  the  far-away  heathen.  There  is  a  ro- 
mance in  the  work  in  either  case.  They  are  all 
empire-builders  alike.  They  bring  to  their  work 
a  richer  tribute  than  even  Cecil  Khodes  could 
command.  They  build  themselves  into  their 
work ;  and  this  is  just  as  true  of  the  missionaries 
of  Iowa  and  Dakota  and  California,  as  it  is  of 
those  of  Japan  and  China  and  the  islands  of  the 
sea.  It  is  the  romance  of  faith  and  heroism  and 
trial  and  self-sacrifice,  but  it  is  also  the  romance 
of  promise  and  patriotism  and  service  and  of  the 
crown  at  last. 

Dr.  Doyle  has  rendered  a  most  valuable  service 
in  preparing  this  admirable  manual  of  history  of 
Presbyterian  home  missions.  I  regret  that  I 
have  not  been  able  to  read  the  proof  sheets  of 
the  entire  book,  but  what  I  have  read  confirms 
the  favorable  judgment  which  competent  critics 
have  unqualifiedly  pronounced.  It  will  bring 
some  very  gratifying  surprises  to  those  who  will 
read  it.  Few  realize  the  magnitude  of  our  home 
missionary  work.  The  church  west  of  the 
Mississippi,  however  strong  it  may  be,  is  a  rare 
exception  if  it  was  not  originally  founded  or 
some  time  aided  by  our  Board  of  Home  Missions. 
Dr.  Doyle  tells  us  that  this  Board  has  planted 
5,600  churches,  issued  72,721  commissions,  and 


FOREWORD  IX 

expended  $23,000,000.  If  this  has  been  the 
record  of  the  nineteenth  century,  who  can  fore- 
cast the  twentieth  ? 

Emerson's  often-quoted  remark,  "America  is 
another  name  for  opportunity,"  was  never  truer 
than  it  is  to-day  ;  and  the  "  opportunity  "  has 
been  almost  immeasurably  expanded  in  these  last 
years.  San  Francisco  is  east  of  the  center  of  our 
possessions  and  the  Stars  and  Stripes  now  float 
over  non-Christian  millions  to  whom  the  home 
missionary  must  be  sent.  Only  the  beginning 
has  been  made ;  the  work  lies  ahead.  The  broad 
work  of  true  patriotism  is  loyalty  to  Jesus 
Christ,  and  the  Father  of  his  country  left  us  a 
great  truth  when  he  said  that  public  morality 
and  private  morality  must  be  based  upon  re- 
ligion. If  we  are  to  meet  and  to  discharge  our 
world-responsibility,  of  which  we  are  now  hearing 
so  much,  it  will  be  by  a  vigorous  and  faithful, 
and,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  a  fruitful  prosecu- 
tion of  the  grand  work,  of  the  first  century  of 
which  this  book  brings  us  the  inspiring  record. 

Henry  Collin  Minton. 

Philadelphia,  April  2Uh,  1902. 


CONTENTS 


THE  HOME  BOARD 

Presbyterian  Church  and  Missions — OflScial  Steps  Toward 
Organized  "Work — Home  Missions  in  the  General  As- 
sembly from  1789  to  1816 — Standing  Committee  Changed 
to  Home  Board — Division  and  Eeunion,  Statistics  from 
1879  to  1900— The  Woman's  Board 3-35 

II 

THE  INDIANS — PAST  AND   PRESENT 

Origin — Form  of  Government — Character — Religious  Views 
and  Practices — Is  the  Indian  Dying  Out  ? — Present  Dis- 
tribution— The  United  States  Government  and  the  In- 
dians    37-60 

III 

THE  INDIANS — MISSIONS 

First   Missionary   Efforts — The    Mayhews — John    Eliot — 
First  Bible  Printed  in  America — Quaker  Missions — The 
Moravians — Jonathan  Edwards,  First  Presbyterian  Mis- 
xi 


Xll  CONTENTS 

sionary — David  Brainerd — Marcus  Whitman — Missions, 
East  of  the  Jlississippi,  Northwest,  Southwest — The 
Woman's  Board  and  Indian  Schools 61-96 

IV 

THE   ALASKANS 

Name  and  Area — Climate — Natural  Characteristics — Native 
Life — Eeligiou— Eussia  in  Alaska— United  States  Pur- 
chase—First Missionaries— Southeastern  Missions— In- 
terior Missions— The  Woman's  Board  and  Alaska— Dr. 
Jackson— Dr.  Young— Governor  Brady 97-136 

V 

THE  MOKMONS 

Joseph  Smith — True  Story  of  the  Book  of  Mormon — His- 
tory of  Mormonism — Mormonism  Ecclesiastically,  Theo- 
logically, Socially  and  Politically  Considered — Missions 
— Presbyterian  Missions — Schools  in  Utah — The  Young 
People  and  the  Future  of  Mormonism 137-165 

VI 

THE  MOUNTAINEERS 

Names — Manner  of  Life — Characteristics — Ancestry — Mis- 
sions—Schools—Bible Readers 167-199 

VII 

THE   MEXICANS 
History  of  New  Mexico— Characteristics  of  the  Mexicans 


CONTENTS  Xlll 

in  the  United  States— First  Presbyterian  Missionary — 
Mexican  Missions — Schools  Under  the  Woman's  Board — 
Claims  of  the  Mexicans 201-220 

VIII 

THE  FOREIGNEES 

Foreigners  in  the  United  States — Present  Immigration — 
Classes  of  Immigrants — Places  of  Segregation — Results — 
Presbyterian  Missions  Among  Foreigners,  1850  to  1860 — 
1860  to  1870—1870  to  1880—1880  to  1890—1890  to  1900 
—1902 221-241 

IX 

THE  ISLANDERS 

Porto  Eico— Its  History  and  Characteristics — Presbyterian 
Missions  in  Porto  Rico — Missions  in  Cuba 243-259 


THE  GREAT  WEST 

Greatness  of  the  West — Religious  Needs — Political  Im- 
portance— Relation  to  Evangelization  of  the  World — 
Influence  of  Home  Missions  in  the  Political,  Commercial 
and  Educational  Development  of  the  West — Spiritual 
Influences — Presbyterian  Missions  in  the  West  .    .    .  261-282 

XI 

THE   SYNODS 
Origin  of  Synodical  Missions — Plans  of  the  Self-supporting 


XIV  CONTENTS 

Synods — New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Indiana,  Baltimore, 
Illinois,  Kentucky,  New  York,  Ohio,  Michigan     .    .  283-306 

XII 

SUMMARY 

Arguments  for  Home  Missions — Christianism,  Presbyter- 
ianisra,  Patriotism — World-wide  Evangelism — Commer- 
cialism— Conclusion 307-318 


I 

INTEODUCTION 


CHAPTER  I 

INTRODUCTION 

Our  Church  has  been  a  home  mission  Church 
from  the  beginning.  Long  before  there  was  any 
organized  presbytery  the  pioneer  ministers  were 
pioneer  missionaries  to  the  Indian  tribes  and  to 
the  scattered  settlers.  But  from  the  organization 
of  the  General  Assembly  in  1789  it  is  possible  to 
trace  a  continuous  history  of  missionary  activity. 
It  makes  a  most  interesting  and  hitherto  largely 
unwritten  chapter  of  the  religious  development 
of  our  country.  At  the  time  the  first  Assembly 
convened  in  Philadelphia  the  population  of  the 
country  was  about  only  five  millions — almost  the 
entire  number  living  east  of  the  Alleghany 
Mountains  and  nearly  all  of  them  within  a  hun- 
dred miles  of  the  Atlantic  coast.  But  the  coun- 
try was  beginning  to  be  settled ;  immigrants 
were  coming  in  increasing  numbers  from  Europe  ; 
the  line  of  occupation  was  pushing  slowly  into 
the  woods  of  ISTew  York,  Pennsylvania,  "Virginia, 
and  the  Carolinas.  The  problem  before  the 
infant  Church  was  to  reach  those  scattered  peo- 
ples with  the  message  of  the  gospel. 

3 


4  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

It  is  interesting  to  trace  the  official  steps 
taken  by  the  Assembly  in  this  direction  for,  as 
is  known,  until  18U2  there  was  not  even  a  perma- 
nent committee  on  home  missions.  All  the  mis- 
sionary work  was  done  in  Assembly  by  special 
committees  or  by  direct  action.  Let  us  briefly 
follow  this  development. 

The  first  report  of  the  committee  on  bills  and 
overtures,  to  the  first  General  Assembly,  recom- 
mends "  to  the  respective  synods  that  they  take 
order  that  the  presbyteries  under  their  care  be 
punctual,  in  appointing  and  sending  their  due 
number  of  delegates  to  the  General  Assembly," 
and  the  second  report  of  this  committee  said, 
"  that  the  state  of  the  frontier  settlements  should 
be  taken  into  consideration  and  missionaries 
should  be  sent  to  them"  {Miimtes,  1789,  p.  10). 
A  committee  of  two  ^vas  appointed  to  "  devise 
such  measures  as  might  be  calculated  to  carry 
the  mission  into  execution."  The  committee 
reported  that  same  afternoon,  asking  that  each 
of  the  synods  be  requested  to  recommend  to  the 
General  Assembly  at  their  next  meeting  two 
members  well  qualified  to  be  employed  in  mis- 
sions on  our  frontier.  They  also  recommended 
that  the  several  presbyteries  be  strictly  enjoined 
to  have  special  collections  made  during  the  pres- 
ent year  "  for  defraying  the  necessary  expenses 
of  the   missions"   {Minutes^   1789,  pp.  10,   11). 


INTRODUCTION  5 

This  then  marks  the  beginning  of  systematic 
home  mission  work.  From  that  year  on  to  the 
appointment  of  the  Permanent  Committee  on 
Home  Missions  in  1802  {If-mtctes,  pp.  257,  258), 
there  was  not  a  meeting  of  the  General  Assem- 
bly at  which  prominent  attention  was  not  given 
to  the  cause  of  home  missions. 

At  the  next  Assembly  (1790),  in  accordance 
with  the  order  of  the  previous  one,  "  the  Synod 
of  New  York  and  New  Jersey  recommended  the 
Revs.  Nathan  Her  and  Joseph  Hart  as  mission- 
aries to  preach  on  the  frontiers  of  our  country  " 
{Minutes,  p.  23).  The  Rev.  Dr.  George  Duffield 
was  appointed  by  the  Synod  of  Philadelphia  for 
the  same  purpose  but  was  removed  by  death 
almost  immediately  after  his  appointment  {Min- 
xites,  p.  23).  The  Synod  of  Virginia  reported 
that  it  did  not  have  an  account  of  the  proceed- 
ings of  the  Assembly  of  1789  and  so  "did  not 
recommend  missionaries  according  to  the  order 
of  the  Assembly,  but  substantially  complied  with 
the  design  of  that  mission  with  an  arrangement 
of  their  own  at  their  last  meeting"  {Minutes^ 
pp.  23,  25).  At  this  meeting  of  the  Assembly 
a  committee  was  appointed  "  to  prepare  certain 
directions  necessary  for  the  missionaries  of  the 
Assembly  in  fulfilling  the  design  of  their  mission 
and  to  specify  the  compensation  that  it  would 
be  proper  to  make  for  their  services  "  {Minutes^ 


6  PRESBYTERIAN   HOilE   MISSIONS 

p.  23).  The  stringency  with  which  the  Assembly 
insisted  on  this  missionary  work  being  done  is 
illustrated  by  action  taken  at  the  same  meeting 
in  which  the  Assembly  says  that  as  the  injunc- 
tion had  not  been  complied  with  by  some  of  the 
presbyteries  they  thought  it  proper  to  "  enjoin 
it  upon,  all  presbyteries  to  give  particular  atten- 
tion that  their  congregations  raise  the  specified 
contribution"  {Minutes,  p.  2-i).  The  records  of 
subsequent  Assemblies  indicate  that  the  matter 
of  collections  was  followed  up  in  the  most  per- 
sistent way  from  meeting  to  meeting.  They 
were  not  advised  to  take  collections  for  home 
missions,  they  were  required  to  take  them,  and 
when  such  collections  were  not  taken,  a  reason 
was  expected. 

At  the  Assembly  of  1Y91  Mr.  Her  and  Mr. 
Hart,  who  the  previous  year  had  been  appointed 
missionaries,  made  their  report  {Minutes,  p.  45). 
They  had  each  spent  three  months  in  the  busi- 
ness assigned  to  them  by  the  Assembly.  In  New 
York,  beginning  at  Middletown  they  had  gone 
as  far  as  the  Oneida  nation  of  Indians  and  the 
Cayugas  round  Lake  Otsego.  In  Pennsylvania 
they  had  visited  in  the  Lackawanna  valley,  and 
such  places  as  Pittston,  Wilkesbarre,  and  Lacka- 
wanna, are  mentioned.  In  the  course  of  their 
report  they  declared  that  in  the  northern  and 
western  parts  of  the  State  of  New  York  there 


INTRODUCTION  7 

are  "  great  numbers  of  people  and  that  number 
increasing  witll  amazing  rapidity."  They  there- 
fore suggested  that  it  will  be  proper  to  send  out 
"  one  ordained  minister  as  a  missionary  this  year 
in  order  that  the  hopes  of  the  pioneers  may  be 
raised,  the  ignorant  may  be  instructed,  and  that 
the  foundation  of  gospel  principles  may  be  laid 
in  this  extensive  and  growing  country  in  such  a 
manner  that  discipline  may  be  exercised  regu- 
larly therein  "  {Minutes,  p.  45). 

In  the  next  year  it  was  recorded  that,  the 
Synods  of  Virginia  and  the  Carolinas  having 
failed  to  make  report  of  the  measures  adopted 
for  supplying  the  frontiers  with  the  ordinances 
of  the  gospel,  a  committee  was  appointed  to 
bring  in  a  written  account  of  what  had  been 
done  in  these  two  synods  "  and  the  Assembly  do, 
moreover,  repeat  their  injunction  to  those  synods 
to  send  up  an  annual  account  of  their  proceed- 
ings in  the  premises  and  of  their  success  to  the 
General  Assembly  "  {Minutes,  p.  50). 

At  the  same  meeting  of  the  Assembly  special 
action  was  taken  requiring  that  the  moneys  col- 
lected for  the  purpose  of  supporting  missionaries 
to  the  frontiers  and  which  had  not  yet  been 
brought  in  should,  as  soon  as  convenient,  be 
transmitted  to  the  treasurer.  At  this  meeting 
there  was  recognition  of  the  fact  that  the  Synods 
of  Virginia  and  the  Carolinas  were  supporting 


8  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

their  own  missionaries.  Synodical  self-support 
is  thus  more  than  a  hundred  years  old  and  was 
first  begun  because  of  the  remoteness  of  the 
synods  from  the  meeting  place  of  the  Assembly 
and  the  difficulty  hence  of  getting  into  direct 
communication  with  the  Church  {Minutes,  p.  59). 

This  Assembly  also  adopted  a  form  of  com- 
mission for  the  missionaries  to  the  frontier.  It 
certified  the  ecclesiastical  standing  of  the  mis- 
sionary, directed  him  when  to  begin  his  work 
and  in  what  regions  to  carry  it  on,  and  required 
of  him  "  to  keep  a  distinct  journal  of  his  prog- 
ress and  to  make  report  to  the  next  General 
Assembly  "  {Minutes,  p.  61). 

At  every  session  of  the  Assembly  a  good  deal 
of  time  was  given  to  the  consideration  of  the 
missionary  work,  to  the  hearing  of  the  reports  of 
those  who  had  served  as  missionaries,  to  the 
commissioning  of  brethren  for  missionary  tours, 
and  to  various  instructions  to  presbyteries  and 
synods  and  communities  regarding  the  need  and 
purposes  of  home  mission  work. 

The  Assembly  of  1794  adopted  a  circular  ad- 
dressed to  the  inhabitants  visited  by  the  mis- 
sionaries. In  this  address  the  first  action  look- 
ing to  friendly  and  cooperative  relations  with 
other  denominations  was  taken.  It  is  in  these 
words  :  "  As  our  aim  has  not  been  to  proselyte 
from   other   communities  to  our   denomination, 


INTRODUCTION  9 

we  have  charged  our  missionaries  to  avoid  all 
doubtful  disputations,  to  abstain  from  unfriendly- 
censures  or  reflections  on  other  religious  persua- 
sions, and,  adhering  strictly  to  the  great  doctrines 
of  our  holy  religion  which  influence  the  heart 
and  life  in  the  ways  of  godliness,  to  follow  after 
the  things  that  make  for  peace  and  general  edifl- 
cation"  {Minutes,  p.  91).  The  Presbyterian 
Church  is  thus  on  record  at  a  very  early  date,  as 
she  has  been  on  record  ever  since,  in  favor  of 
friendly  and  brotherly  relations  with  all  other 
denominations. 

How  careful  the  "  Fathers "  were  that  the 
missionary  activities  of  the  Church  should  be 
given  to  the  places  of  greatest  need  and  not 
always  or  only  to  points  that  offered  some 
strategic  advantage  is  evident  from  the  action  of 
the  Assembly  in  1Y95  where  one  of  the  mission- 
aries is  charged  "  to  confine  his  labors  to  such 
settlements  and  people  as  may  not  yet  have  been 
formed  into  regular  societies  and  appear  unable 
in  their  present  state  to  make  compensation  for 
supplies  "  {Minutes,  p.  99).  And  another  is  re- 
quired "  to  be  particularly  attentive  to  such 
settlements  as  are  most  out  of  the  reach  of  other 
supplies  and  to  inquire  after  and  visit  any  such 
as  are  newly  formed  if  they  should  appear  of 
sufficient  consequence  "  {Minutes,  p.  99). 

How  strictly  the  General  Assembly  dealt  with 


10  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

its  missionaries  has  an  interesting  illustration  in 
the  Assembly  of  1Y96  when  it  was  "Eesolved 
that  Mr.  Sample  has  not  fulfilled  his  commission 
according  to  the  directions  of  the  General  As- 
sembly, as  it  appears  from  his  own  account  that 
he  has  not  pursued  the  route  pointed  out  to  him 
and  has  preached  part  of  his  time  in  congrega- 
tions which  do  not  come  under  the  description 
of  those  to  which  he  was  limited  in  his  commis- 
sion and  that  the  pay  for  one  month  which  he 
has  already  received  is  a  sufficient  compensation 
for  his  services  "  {Minutes^  pp.  113,  114). 

The  Assembly  of  1798  took  particular  action 
regarding  the  character  of  the  men  to  be  com- 
missioned and  the  tenor  of  their  preaching  and 
other  services.  It  was  declared  that  the  mission- 
aries should  be  "men  of  ability,  piety,  zeal, 
prudence,  and  popular  talents."  They  were  also 
to  preach  the  important  doctrines  of  grace,  to 
organize  churches  where  opportunity  offered  and 
administer  ordinances  and  instruct  the  people 
from  house  to  house  and  "  with  the  self-denial  of 
their  Master  be  wholly  devoted  to  their  ministry  " 
{Minutes,  p.  150). 

The  Assembly  of  1799  called  attention  to  the 
religious  state  of  the  frontiers,  the  extensive  tract 
of  country  into  which  thousands  of  people 
were  pouring  and  the  fact  that  communities 
were  calling  for  a  regularly  settled  minister,  for 


INTRODUCTION  11 

which  the  Assembly  should  make  provision,  and 
the  congregations  were  again  urged  to  liberal 
contributions  "once  or  oftener  in  the  year  to 
assist  it  carrying  on  this  benevolent  and  chari- 
table work  • '  {Minutes,  p.  176). 

This  Assembly  took  an  advance  step  in  declar- 
ing "that  one  or  more  persons  of  suitable 
character  take  up  their  residence  in  towns  the 
most  convenient  for  the  objects  of  their  appoint- 
ment, whose  business  it  should  be,  beside  the 
ordinary  duties  of  missionaries,  to  receive  appli- 
cations from  the  different  settlements  in  those 
parts  of  our  frontiers ;  to  attend  to  the  particular 
rising  exigencies  amongst  them ;  to  be  a  common 
medium  of  information ;  and  for  aiding  and 
directing  such  missionaries  as  may  be  annually 
sent  out  by  the  General  Assembly  "  {Minutes,  p. 
184).  This  seems  to  be  the  first  movement  to- 
ward missionary  superintendence.  Fort  Schuy- 
ler on  the  Mohawk  River  and  Geneva  on  Seneca 
Lake  were  suggested  as  centers  for  such  superin- 
tendence {Minutes,  p.  184). 

The  close  relation  even  thus  early  between  our 
General  Assembly  and  the  General  Association 
of  Connecticut  is  interestingly  indicated  in  one 
paragraph  of  that  Assembly's  action  in  which 
the  Eev.  Methuselah  Baldwin  is  directed  to 
spend  three  months  or  more  in  the  vicinity  of 
Onondaga  "  in  connection  with  Mr.  Williston,  a 


12  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

missionary  from  the  General  Association  of 
Connecticut  "  {Minutes,  p.  185). 

At  the  Assembly  in  1800  the  Rev.  Drs. 
Rodgers  and  McWhorter,  who  had  been  ap- 
pointed a  committee  by  the  previous  Assembly 
to  secure  resident  missionaries,  reported,  recom- 
mending "  the  Rev.  Jedediah  Chapman  of  the 
Presbytery  of  New  York,  as  a  person  well 
qualified  to  answer  the  design  of  the  General 
Assembly  "  {Minutes,  pp.  193,  194).  He  is  thus 
the  first  missionary  appointed  to  have  general 
charge  of  the  missionary  interests  in  the  district 
round  the  place  of  his  residence. 

The  same  Assembly  considered  a  communica- 
tion of  the  "  Corporation  "  for  managing  their 
funds  and  agreed  that  the  following  objects  de- 
served consideration :  "  The  gospelizing  of  the 
Indians  on  the  frontiers  of  our  country ;  the  in- 
struction of  negroes,  the  poor,  and  those  who 
are  destitute  of  the  means  of  grace  in  various 
parts  of  this  extensive  country " ;  and  that  an 
order  of  men  under  the  character  of  catechists  be 
instituted,  from  among  men  of  piety  and  good 
sense  but  without  a  liberal  education,  who  might 
"instruct  the  Indians,  the  black  people,  and 
other  persons  unacquainted  with  the  principles  of 
our  holy  religion."  These  catechists  were  not  to 
be  clothed  with  clerical  functions  but  were  to 
begin  preliminary  work  with  a  view  to  preparing 


INTRODUCTION  13 

the  way  for  the  ordained  minister.  It  was,  how- 
ever, decided  that  no  catechists  be  sent  out  till 
further  order  of  the  Assembly  {Minutes,  pp.  195, 
196,  197). 

The  same  Assembly  however  later  took  action 
allowing  the  Synod  of  Virginia  "  to  appoint  one 
or  more  catechists  to  labor  among  the  Indians  if 
it  is  thought  expedient "  {Minutes,  p.  207).  The 
Assembly  also  took  specific  action  with  reference 
to  the  commissioning  of  "  a  stated  missionary  on 
the  northwestern  frontiers,"  giving  the  scope 
and  character  of  his  service  and  making  him  the 
medium  of  "  communicating  to  the  settlements 
and  the  Indian  tribes  such  information  as  the 
Assembly  may  wish  to  communicate."  Kev. 
Jedediah  Chapman  accepted  this  commission 
{Minutes,  pp.  208,  209). 

The  first  specific  action  with  reference  to  the 
missionary  relation  of  our  Church  and  the  Con- 
gregational Church  was  taken  in  the  Assembly 
of  1801  when  regulations  were  adopted  to  pro- 
mote union  and  harmony  between  the  mission- 
aries of  these  two  bodies.  They  are  enjoined 
"  to  promote  a  spirit  of  accommodation  between 
those  inhabitants  of  the  new  settlements  who 
hold  the  Presbyterian,  and  those  who  hold  the 
Congregational,  form  of  church  government" 
{Minutes,  p.  224).  This  action  was  the  first 
draft  of  the  "  Plan  of  Union  "  to  provide  that 


14  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

Congregational  churches  might  settle  Presby- 
terian ministers  and  the  reverse,  and  that  if  the 
congregation  consisted  partly  of  Congregation- 
alists  and  partly  of  Presbyterians  this  fact  should 
be  no  obstruction  to  their  uniting  in  one  church 
and  settling  a  minister,  and  that  in  such  case  a 
standing  committee  of  the  communicants  should 
be  the  spiritual  leaders  of  the  congregation. 

There  is  also  a  record  in  the  Minutes  of  the 
same  Assembly  of  action  which  was  taken  con- 
cerning a  communication  sent  from  the  Church 
of  Scotland  regarding  certain  moneys  that  had 
been  collected  there  for  the  education  of  the  In- 
dians in  America.  The  action  of  the  Assembly 
"was  as  follows :  "  That  although  the  fervent 
zeal  for  the  conversion  of  the  heathen  which  dic- 
tated such  communication  is  highly  laudable,  yet 
from  all  the  information  which  can  be  obtained 
on  the  subject,  they  cannot  think  that  any  at- 
tempt at  present,  by  this  Assembly,  to  obtain 
said  moneys,  would  be  consistent  with  propriety 
and  decency  "  {Minutes,  pp.  226,  227).  This  ac- 
tion of  the  Assembly  means,  that  the  Church  not 
having  the  men  necessary  wisely  to  avail  them- 
selves of  the  fund,  it  would  not  be  proper  for 
them  to  receive  it. 

The  Synod  of  Virginia  at  the  same  meeting, 
still  conducting  its  own  work  on  the  western  side 
of  the  Alleghany  Mountains,  reported  {Minutes^ 


INTRODUCTION  15 

p.  224),  that  they  had  sent  out  during  the  year  six 
missionaries.  Their  report  contains  the  inter- 
esting information  that  a  young  Indian  whom 
they  had  brought  with  them  on  their  return 
from  their  mission  to  Detroit  "  now  appears  seri- 
ously exercised  about  the  great  concerns  of  his 
immortal  soul."  The  commission  of  the  Synod  of 
Virginia  also  reported  having  opened  a  subscrip- 
tion and  "  having  a  prospect  of  obtaining  some- 
thing considerable  toward  preaching  the  gospel 
on  the  frontier  settlements  and  among  the  In- 
dians "  {Minutes,  p.  224). 

At  this  meeting  of  the  Assembly  in  1801  we 
have  the  first  record  of  a  permanent  fund  for 
missionary  work.  The  Trustees  of  the  Assembly 
reported  recommending  that  the  moneys  obtained 
as  the  result  of  soliciting  contributions  for  the 
support  of  missionaries  should  be  regarded  as 
capital  stock  to  be  invested  in  secure  and  perma- 
nent funds  for  missionary  purposes;  that  the 
proceeds  of  it  should  be  employed  in  "  propagat- 
ing the  gospel  among  the  Indians,  in  instructing 
the  black  people,  and  purchasing  pious  books  to 
be  distributed  among  the  poor,  or  in  maintain- 
ing, when  the  Assembly  shall  think  themselves 
competent  to  the  object,  theological  schools,  and 
for  such  other  pious  and  benevolent  purposes  as 
may  hereafter  be  deemed  expedient."  They  also 
determined  to  appoint  agents  to  solicit  donations 


16  PRESBYTEKIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

and  ask  the  presbyteries  to  do  the  same.  The 
first  use  of  these  funds,  however,  was  to  be  for 
increasing  the  number  of  missionaries  and  ex- 
tending the  blessing  of  the  gospel  by  their  labors 
through  a  greater  scope  of  country  {Minutes,  pp. 
228,  229,  230). 

The  Assembly  suggested  the  propriety  of  en- 
joining upon  missionaries  the  importance  of  set- 
tling the  gospel  ministry  among  the  settlements 
where  they  were  to  labor  and  also  urged  upon 
all  the  frontier  people  the  necessity  of  contribut- 
ing to  the  support  of  their  missionaries.  The 
missionaries  were  instructed  to  inquire  particu- 
larly about  the  small  settlements,  which,  on  ac- 
count of  their  obscurity  or  infancy,  might  have 
been  hitherto  overlooked  and  neglected  by  former 
missionaries  {Minutes,  p.  231).  It  is  thus  evident 
that  the  Assembly  was  determined  not  only  upon 
developing  self-supporting  power  in  the  more 
settled  communities  where  the  missionaries  were 
laboring,  but  also  seeking  those  which  could 
make  no  return  and  which  perhaps  had  but 
little  prospect  of  large  results  but  which  ap- 
pealed to  them  because  of  their  "obscurity  or 
infancy." 

We  come  now  to  the  Assembly  of  1802  and  to 
the  steps  there  taken  for  organizing  a  Permanent 
Committee  on  Home  Missions.  It  was  resolved 
that  there  should  be  a  Standing  Committee  on 


INTRODUCTION  17 

Missions  consisting  of  seven  members — four 
clergymen  and  three  laymen,  whose  duty  it 
should  be  to  collect  information  relative  to  mis- 
sions and  missionaries,  to  designate  the  places 
where  missionaries  should  be  employed,  corre- 
spond with  them  and  with  other  persons  on  mis- 
sionary business,  to  nominate  missionaries  to  the 
Assembly,  to  hear  the  reports  of  missionaries,  and 
generally  to  transact  under  the  direction  of  the 
Assembly  the  missionary  business  {Mimites,  pp. 
257,  258,  259).  It  will  be  seen  that  this  Perma- 
nent Committee  during  the  recess  of  the  Assem- 
bly had  practically  the  powers  of  a  missionary 
Board.  This  was  then  the  beginning  of  the  or-^ 
ganized  home  mission  work  of  the  Presbyterian  I 
Church.  Heretofore  it  had  been  conducted  di-  - 
rectly  by  action  of  the  Assembly,  each  appoint- 
ment being  a  particular  item  of  Assembly  busi- 
ness. Henceforth  the  work  would  be  conducted 
by  a  Permanent  Committee  which  would  report 
to  the  Assembly  at  each  of  its  sessions  {Minutes, 
1802,  pp.  250,  257,  258). 

At  the  next  meeting  of  the  Assembly,  in  1803, 
when  the  Assembly  called  on  presbyteries  to  re- 
port on  missionary  matters,  the  presbyteries  re- 
plied that  they  supposed  the  whole  missionary 
business  had  been  given  to  the  Standing  Com- 
mittee and  that  they  had  given  to  that  body  the 
information  in  their  possession.     The  Assembly 


18  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

approved  the  conduct  of  the  presbyteries  in  mak- 
ing communications  directly  to  the  Standing 
Committee  and  ordered  "  that  the  presbyteries 
in  future  report  on  this  subject  to  the  Committee 
of  Missions  only  /  and  make  their  reports  so  early 
as  to  enable  the  said  committee  to  avail  them- 
selves of  the  information  and  present  the  result 
to  the  General  Assembly  from  year  to  year" 
{Minutes,  p.  269). 

This  is  precisely  the  course  that  is  taken  now 
with  reference  to  the  Board  of  Home  Missions. 
The  presbyteries  report  directly  to  the  Board 
and  the  Board  makes  its  report  to  the  General 
Assembly.  Further  action  taken  at  the  same 
meeting  indicated  that  whatever  instructions 
"were  given  to  missionaries  should  be  given  in 
the  name  of  the  Committee  of  Missions,  stating, 
however,  that  they  had  the  approval  of  the  As- 
sembly and  that  the  committee  should  have 
power  on  any  emergency  to  issue  new  instruc- 
tions to  the  missionaries  suited  to  the  occasion 
{Minutes,  p.  273). 

The  Assembly  arranged  for  keeping  out  of 
debt  by  resolving  that  there  ought  to  be  no  an- 
ticipation of  the  funds  in  the  future.  In  other 
words  that  "  appropriations  ought  not  to  be  made 
in  any  year  beyond  the  amount  Avhich  the  funds 
arising  in  that  year  will  be  sufficient  to  satisfy." 
There  is  also  record  that  year  of  the  appointment 


INTRODUCTION  19 

of  the  Eev.  Gideon  Blackburn  as  missionary  to  the 
Cherokee  Indians  in  Tennessee — the  beginning 
of  a  most  useful  and  remarkable  missionary 
career.  How  close  to  the  border  was  the  mis- 
sionary ground  of  our  Church  in  1803  is  illus- 
trated by  the  fact  that  the  Standing  Committee 
of  Home  Missions  that  year  was  vested  with  dis- 
cretionary power  to  send  missionaries  the  ensuing 
year  to  Norfolk,  in  Virginia,  to  the  city  of  Wash- 
ington, to  the  Genesee  and  Sparta,  in  Ontario 
County,  State  of  New  York,  "  if  it  can  be  done 
without  embarrassing  the  funds  "  {Minutes^  pp. 
280,  281). 

At  that  time  they  were  also  beginning  to  hope 
that  they  might  be  able  to  avail  themselves  of 
the  fund  in  Scotland  for  converting  the  Indians 
of  North  America,  for  they  instructed  their  com- 
mittee to  "  procure  the  whole,  or  such  part  thereof 
as  may  comport  with  the  views  of  the  society." 
It  is  to  be  noticed  that  the  missionaries  sent  out 
at  this  time  to  the  western  regions,  some  of  them 
as  far  as  "  Mississippi  Territory  "  were  those  who 
had  pastoral  charges,  and  that  they  might  prose- 
cute their  labors  without  anxiety,  their  places 
in  their  pulpits  were  regularly  and  fully  sup- 
plied by  the  direction  of  the  General  Assembly 
{Minutes,  p.  281). 

From  1803  a  considerable  part  of  the  record 
of  each  General  Assembly  is  occupied  with  home 


20  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

missionary  appointments  and  resolutions  relating 
to  missionary  subjects. 

In  180-i  the  presbyteries  are  recognized  in  the 
direction  of  home  mission  labors,  as  for  example : 
Kev.  Dr.  James  Hall  was  appointed  a  missionary 
j  for  six  months,  three  of  which  were  to  be  spent  in 
\  the  Presbytery  of  Washington  under  the  direction 
of  that  presbytery  or  their  standing  committee. 
The  missionaries  at  this  time  were  receiving 
$33.33  per  month  for  their  service.  The  increase 
of  attention  to  the  Indian  work  is  illustrated  in 
that  year  by  the  fact  that  $200  was  appropriated 
to  the  schoolmaster  employed  by  Mr.  Blackburn 
in  teaching  the  Indian  youth  {Minutes,  p.  313). 

The  Assembly  in  1805  makes  the  interesting 
statement  "  that  Mr.  James  Hoge,  a  licentiate  of 
the  Presbytery  of  Lexington,  serve  as  a  mission- 
ary for  six  months  in  the  State  of  Ohio  and  the 
Katchez  district."  A  pretty  large  commission 
for  one  young  man,  but  it  was  the  beginning  of 
a  service  that  was  to  tell  mightily  on  the  regen- 
eration of  the  State  of  Ohio  {Minutes,  p.  344), 

The  westward  movement  of  population  had 
now  become  so  decided  that  in  1806  missionaries 
were  sent  not  only  to  Yirginia  and  Maryland  but 
to  Connecticut,  and  to  the  "  Indiana  Territory." 
Mr,  Hoge  is  again  employed  as  a  missionary  at 
this  time  "  for  three  months  in  the  State  of  Ohio 
and  parts   adjacent."     This   year   also  there  is 


INTRODUCTION  '  21 

progress  in  the  work  among  the  Cherokee  Indi- 
ans. Rev.  Gideon  Blackburn,  a  home  missionary 
hero  of  that  Southwest,  was  employed  for  two 
months  in  missionary  service  and  $500  was  ap- 
propriated for  the  support  of  the  Indian  school 
instituted  by  him.  In  this  year  also  the  authority 
of  the  Eev.  Jedediah  Chapman  was  somewhat 
increased.  He  was  given  a  commission  without 
designating  the  time  of  service  and  was  at  the 
end  of  the  year  to  report  to  the  Committee  of 
Missions  as  to  the  time  actually  spent,  and  he 
was  also  authorized,  "  with  the  concurrence  of  the 
Presbytery  of  Geneva,  to  employ  two  mission- 
aries for  two  months  each  to  perform  missionary 
service  under  his  direction"  {Minutes,  pp.  367, 
368,  369). 

The  year  1807  marks  the  appointment  of  a 
missionary  in  the  county  of  St.  Lawrence  and  up 
to  the  Canadian  line  and  the  stationing  of  mis- 
sionaries at  various  points  from  New  Jersey  to 
Yincennes,  Ind.  There  is  also  the  record  of  the 
appropriation  of  $500  for  the  use  of  the  Hy wassee 
school  in  the  Cherokee  country.  This  is  the  school 
which  the  Rev.  Gideon  Blackburn  had  started. 
There  was  also  an  appropriation  of  $200,  should 
the  funds  permit,  for  the  support  of  Indian  mis- 
sions under  the  care  of  the  Synod  of  Pittsburg 
{Minutes,  pp.  390,  391).  The  next  year,  1808, 
the  appropriation  to  the  Hy  wassee  school  was 


22  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

continued  at  $500,  and  the  amount  appropriated 
to  the  Synod  of  Pittsburg  for  the  support  of 
Indian  missions  was  increased  to  $400,  if  the 
funds  should  warrant  when  other  missionary  ap- 
propriations had  been  honored  {Minutes,  p.  406). 

The  Assembly  of  1809  enjoined  all  presby- 
teries and  synods  on  no  account  to  interfere  with 
the  instructions  given  by  the  Committee  of  Mis- 
sions to  missionaries  and  recommended  that  the 
interests  of  the  missionary  cause  would  be  pro- 
moted by  publishing  more  extensively  the  report 
of  the  Committee  of  Missions  {Minutes,  p.  427). 

The  work  was  now  steadily  pushing  westward 
and  the  reports  in  the  Assembly  showed  an  in- 
creasing number  of  commissions  through  the 
State  of  Ohio  to  Indiana  and  one  to  upper 
Louisiana. 

The  year  1809  marks  an  advance  also  in  mis- 
sionary administration  by  giving  authority  to 
presbyteries  to  employ  missionaries  within  their 
own  bounds  at  such  places  as  seemed  to  them  to 
have  the  greatest  need  of  missionary  labors. 
The  need  of  an  increasing  number  of  missionaries 
pressed  itself  upon  this  Assembly  and  the  pres- 
byteries were  called  upon  "  to  inquire  for  poor 
and  pious  young  men  who  may  promise  useful- 
ness in  the  gospel  ministry  and  are  willing  to  de- 
vote themselves  to  it  and  raising  a  fund  for  their 
education."     The  first  missionary  periodical  was 


INTRODUCTION  23 

authorized  by  the  Assembly  in  1810  when  the 
Committee  of  Missions  was  directed  "  annually 
to  prepare  and  publish  for  the  information  of  the 
churches  a  pamphlet  or  pamphlets  entitled  '  Mis- 
sionary Intelligence'"  {Minutes^  pp.  418,  428, 
451). 

During  these  years  there  was  not  a  meeting  of 
the  Assembly  without  special  mention  of  the 
needs  of  the  Indian  and  a  strengthening  purpose 
to  do  the  best  that  was  possible  with  the  funds 
on  hand  for  their  evangelization. 

The  missionary  life  of  the  Eev.  John  Doak 
had  so  much  to  do  with  the  development  of  Ten- 
nessee that  it  is  interesting  to  record  his  com- 
mission issued  in  1812:  "  A  missionary  for  six 
weeks,  commencing  his  route  at  Fincastle,  and 
proceeding  thence  on  missionary  ground  to 
Greeneville  in  East  Tennessee."  In  that  same 
year  it  was  reported  that  "  the  '  Missionary  Intelli- 
gence '  ordered  to  be  published  by  the  preceding 
Assembly  had  not  been  able  to  sell  many  copies 
and  recommended  the  gratuitous  distribution  of 
the  remaining  copies  among  the  presbyteries."  In 
that  same  year  the  Synod  of  the  Carolinas  re- 
quested the  General  Assembly  to  take  up  the 
direction  of  missionary  business  within  their 
bounds.  This  was  agreed  to  and  the  Assembly 
was  urged  to  make  all  exertions  to  increase  the 
permanent  and  contingent  funds  of  the  Assembly 


24  PEESBYTEEIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

for  the  support  of  missions  {Mi7iutes,  pp.  506, 
507,  508,  509). 

At  the  same  Assembly  there  was  also  consid- 
ered a  communication  from  the  American  Board 
of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions  in  which 
the  Board  had  suggested  the  expedienc}^  of  co- 
operation between  the  two  missionary  agencies. 
To  this  our  Assembly  replied  that  "  as  the  busi- 
ness of  foreign  missions  may  probably  be  best 
managed  under  the  direction  of  a  single  Board, 
so  the  numerous  and  extensive  engagements  of 
the  Assembly  in  regard  to  domestic  missions, 
renders  it  extremely  inconvenient  at  this  time  to 
take  a  part  in  foreign  missions."  They  go  on  to 
say  that  they  may  the  rather  decline  these  mis- 
sions, "inasmuch  as  the  committee  are  informed 
that  missionary  societies  have  lately  been  insti- 
tuted in  several  places  within  the  bounds  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  "  {Minutes,  pp.  514,  515). 

The  Assembly  of  1813  makes  the  interesting 
statement  that  the  salaries  of  the  missionaries 
shall  be  $40  per  month  {Minutes,  p.  535). 

In  1814  a  committee  was  appointed  to  petition 
Congress  for  a  tract  of  land  to  assist  in  conduct- 
ing a  mission  to  the  Indians.  Should  the  Gov- 
ernment decline  the  request  the  committee  was 
empowered  to  purchase  a  section  of  land  {Min- 
utes, p.  565). 

In  1815,  the  year  before  the  organization  of 


INTRODUCTION  25 

the  Board  of  Missions,  the  appointment  of  mis- 
sionaries covered  the  distance  extending  from 
Lake  Champlain  and  the  Canadian  line  on  the 
north  and  from  Long  Island  and  the  Delaware 
River  on  the  east  to  the  Indiana  Territory  on 
the  west  and  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  on  the 
south  {Minutes,  pp.  586,  587,  588). 

In  1816  the  report  of  the  committee  to  con- 
sider whether  the  question  of  changing  the 
Standing  Committee  of  Missions  to  a  Missionary 
Board  represented  the  great  increase  of  popula- 
tion in  the  "West,  the  demand  for  missionary 
labors  far  exceeding  the  ability  of  supply,  and 
that  it  was  necessary  to  make  larger  plans  for 
the  carrying  on  of  the  work.  Therefore,  it  was 
recommended  that  the  Committee  of  Missions  be 
erected  into  a  Board  "  with  full  power  to  transact 
all  the  business  of  the  missionary  cause,  only  re- 
quiring the  Board  to  report  annually  to  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly."  The  full  title  was  "  The  Board 
of  Missions  acting  under  authority  of  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the 
United  States."  They  were  authorized  to  ap- 
point missionaries  whenever  they  may  deem  it 
proper ;  to  make  such  advances  to  missionaries 
as  may  be  judged  necessary ;  to  take  measures 
for  establishing  throughout  our  churches  auxiliary 
missionary  societies  and  generally  to  conduct  the 
work  of  home  missions  in  all  its  phases.     As  the 


26  PRESBYTERIAlSr   HOME   MISSIONS 

expediency  of  the  Home  Board  also  doing  foreign 
missionary  work  had  been  brought  to  the  atten- 
tion of  the  committee  they  reported  that  "  they 
are  inclined  to  believe  that  the  union  of  foreign 
with  domestic  missions,  would  produce  too  great 
complexity  in  the  affairs  of  the  Board,  and  ren- 
der the  pressure  of  business  too  severe  and  bur- 
densome "  ;  and  they  suggest  instead  the  forming 
of  a  foreign  missionary  society  composed  of  mem- 
bers belonging  to  our  own  Church  and  to  the 
Reformed  Dutch  Church,  the  Associate  Reformed 
Church,  and  other  churches  which  have  adopted 
the  same  creed  {Minutes,  pp.  632,  633). 

The  Board  of  Missions  as  thus  organized  con- 
sisted of  Rev.  Drs.  Ashbel  Green,  Archibalcl 
Alexander,  J.  P.  Wilson,  J.  Janeway,  T.  H. 
Skinner,  G.  C.  Potts,  D.  Higgins,  James  Coe, 
James  Richards,  R.  Cathcart,  E.  McCurdy,  J.  H. 
Rice,  James  Blythe,  R.  G.  "Wilson,  James  Hall, 
Andrew  Flinn,  J.  R.  Romeyn,  and  Samuel  Miller, 
with  elders  Boudinot,  Hazard,  Conelly,  Haslet, 
Smith,  Bayard,  Ralston,  Lenox,  Rodgers,  Cald- 
well, Bethune,  and  Lewis  {Minutes,  pp.  607,  633). 

We  have  followed  thus  somewhat  in  detail  the 
development  of  our  missionary  work  from  the 
organization  of  the  General  Assembly  onward  to 
1816,  because  that  period  has  not  hitherto  been 
so  connectedly  presented  and  it  seemed  desirable 
in  a  book  giving  the  development  and  extension 


INTKODUCTION  27 

of  the  home  mission  work  of  our  Church  that 
these  early  records  should  be  thus  compiled. 

After  the  organization  of  the  Board  in  1816 
the  work  grew  rapidly  in  every  direction.  The 
stream  of  population  began  to  flow  into  the 
central  and  western  parts  of  the  country  ;  Ohio 
was  rapidly  opening  up;  it  had  already  many 
strong  settlements ;  Tennessee  and  Kentucky 
which  had  received  the  sturdy  pioneers  from  the 
Carolinas  and  Virginia  in  the  end  of  the  eight- 
eenth century  were  receiving  the  impress  of  our 
missionaries  and  our  teachers. 

In  1825  the  Erie  Canal  was  completed  and  the 
tide  of  population  flowed  into  the  States  of 
Indiana,  Illinois,  and  Wisconsin.  These  settlers 
were  an  earnest  and,  as  a  rule,  godly  class  of 
pioneers.  They  longed  for  the  preaching  of  the 
gospel.  In  1826,  to  meet  the  increasing  demand, 
the  American  Home  Missionary  Society  was 
formed.  Its  board  of  directors  was  composed  of 
Presbyterians,  Congregationalists,  and  Dutch 
Eeformed,  ministers  and  laymen.  The  field  of 
its  operations  was  first  in  New  England  and  in 
New  York  State  and  the  Presbyterian  churches 
and  ministers  in  that  field  gave  their  adhesion 
largely  to  this  society,  soliciting  funds  from  its 
treasury. 

At  the  division  of  the  Church  in  1839  the  New 
School  branch  of  the  Church  continued  its  adhe- 


28  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

sion  to  the  Home  Missionary  Society.  The 
Board  of  Missions  remained  in  connection  with 
the  Old  School  branch  and  has  been  the  channel 
for  the  missionary  work  of  that  Church  to  the 
present  time.  In  1857  the  name  of  the  Board 
was  changed  to  "  The  Trustees  of  the  Board  of 
Domestic  Missions  of  the  General  Assembly  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States  of 
America."  Differences  of  opinion  arising  be- 
tAveen  certain  presbyteries  and  the  American 
Home  Missionary  Society  the  matter  was 
brought  before  the  General  Assembly  and  in 
1855  the  Assembly  appointed  the  Church  Exten- 
sion Committee  which  w^as  recommended  to  the 
confidence  and  cooperation  of  the  churches 
under  the  care  of  the  ]^ew  School  General  As- 
sembly. The  disagreements,  however,  between 
the  missionary  societies  continued  and  in  1861  the 
New  School  General  Assembly  assumed  the  whole 
responsibility  of  conducting  the  work  of  home 
missions  within  its  bounds  and  constituted  the 
Presbyterian  Committee  of  Home  Missions. 
The  reports  of  the  American  Home  Missionary 
Society  not  distinguishing  between  Presbyterian 
and  Congregational  missionaries,  there  is  no  way 
of  determining  how  much  of  the  good  work  of 
that  society  was  the  work  of  Presbyterian 
ministers. 

The  reunion  of  the  two  organizations  in  1870 


INTRODUCTION  29 

after  a  separation  of  a  whole  generation  was  the 
occasion  of  uniting  the  Board  of  Home  Missions 
and  the  Committee  of  Missions  under  the  legal 
name  of  "  The  Board  of  Home  Missions  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States  of 
America."  It  was  incorporated  by  act  of  the 
Legislature  of  the  State  of  New  York,  April  19, 
1872.  The  General  Assembly  appointed  the 
following  members  of  the  Board : — 

dfinisters.  Laymen. 

George  L,  Prentiss,  D.  D.  Edward  A.  Lambert. 

John  Hall,  D.  D.  Jacob  Vermilye. 

Thomas  S.  Hastings,  D.  D.  George  W.  Lane. 

Jonathan  F.  Stearns,  D.  D.  Thomas  C.  M.  Paton. 

William  C.  Roberts,  D.  D.  Joseph  F.  Joy. 

Henry  J.  Van  Dyke,  D.  D.  Aaron  B.  Belknap. 

William  H.  Hornblower,  D.  D.  John  Taylor  Johnston. 

George  R.  Lock  wood. 

They  designated  New  York  city  as  the  center 
of  operations  of  the  new  Board.  Since  the  re- 
union the  growth  and  success  of  home  missions 
have  been  such  as  to  call  forth  constant  gratitude 
to  God. 

The  Board  has  now  nearly  fourteen  hundred 
missionaries.  They  are  scattered  from  the  top 
of  Alaska  to  Porto  Rico.  The  following  figures 
give  an  idea  of  the  progress  of  the  Church  during 
the  century  we  have  reviewed. 


30  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

At  the  organization  of  the  Assembly  the 
Presbyterian  element  of  our  country  was  repre- 
sented by  177  ministers,  111  licentiates,  419  con- 
gregations, 20,000  communicants. 

In  1810  there  were  434  ministers,  772  churches, 
28,901  communicants. 

In  1820  there  were  741  ministers,  1,299 
churches,  72,096  communicants. 

In  1837,  before  division,  there  were  in  the 
United  States  23  synods,  135  presbyteries,  2,140 
ministers,  2,865  churches,  222,557  communicants. 

In  1870,  after  reunion,  there  were  51  synods, 
173  presbyteries,  4,238  ministers,  4,526  churches, 
446,561  communicants. 

In  1900  our  own  General  Assembly  reported 
32  synods,  232  presbyteries,  7,467  ministers,  7,750 
churches,  1,007,689  communicants. 

In  1900  the  whole  Presbyterian  element  of 
the  country  was  represented  approximately  by 
12,000  ministers,  15,157  churches,  1,600,000  com- 
municants. 

In  1800  there  was  one  member  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church  to  every  260  of  our  population. 

In  1900  there  was  one  communicant  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  to  every  48  of  our  popula- 
tion. 

The  Board  of  Home  Missions  has  had  a  con- 
spicuous share  in  this  development.  It  is  esti- 
mated   that    there    have    been    5,600   churches 


INTRODUCTION  31 

planted  and  aided  to  self-support.  In  all  72,721 
commissions  have  been  issued.  The  first  annual 
collection  reported  to  the  Assembly  amounted  to 
about  $400.  The  amount  raised  during  the 
ecclesiastical  year  which  has  just  closed  is 
$804,400.  In  all  about  $23,000,000  have  been 
expended  in  the  work  from  the  beginning. 

"Woman's  Work  for  Home  Missions. 

The  first  conference  having  reference  to  the 
organization  of  a  Woman's  Board  of  Home  Mis- 
sions was  held  in  Chicago  in  1870,  Three  or 
four  years  before  this  a  Woman's  Missionary 
Society  was  formed  in  Auburn,  New  York,  to  fur- 
nish the  ignorant  Romanists  of  I^ew  Mexico  with 
religious  teachers  and  raise  funds  for  their  sup- 
port. It  was  called  the  "  Santa  Fe  Association  " 
and  was  made  auxiliary  to  the  Union  Missionary 
Society,  of  which  Mrs.  Doremus  was  president. 

After  some  time  it  was  discovered  that  a  de- 
nominational organization  was  desirable.  The 
Presbyterians  therefore  formed  the  "  IS'ew  Mex- 
ico, Arizona  and  Colorado  Missionary  Associa- 
tion." Meantime  to  the  missionaries  sent  by  the 
Home  Board  to  the  Indians,  Spanish-speaking 
people  of  Colorado  and  N^ew  Mexico,  as  well  as 
to  the  Mormons,  it  soon  became  evident  that  if 
these  people  were  reached  at  all  it  must  be 
through  their  children.     These  facts  were  pre- 


32  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

sented  by  the  Board  to  the  Assemblies  of  1872, 
'73,  '74  with  the  request  that  something  be  done 
to  enable  it  to  carry  the  gospel  to  these  excep- 
tional populations. 

In  1875  the  Board  appointed  a  committee  to 
prepare  a  plan  for  the  cooperation  of  the  women 
with  the  Board.  On  January  26,  1876,  a  plan 
Avas  adopted  by  the  Board  recommending  that 
the  sessions  and  presbyteries  supervise  and  pro- 
mote the  organization  of  woman's  societies,  and 
send  their  funds  direct  to  the  Board's  treasury. 
In  December,  1877,  the  school  work  among  the 
exceptional  populations  was  formally  undertaken 
by  the  Board.  The  first  teachers  were  com- 
missioned by  the  Board  December  24,  1877, — 
sixteen  of  them  with  salaries  amounting  to 
$5,400,  which  amount  it  was  hoped  the  w^omen 
of  the  Church  would  contribute. 

The  necessity  of  a  "Woman's  Home  Missionary 
Society  soon  became  evident  and  a  convention  of 
women  interested  in  home  missions  was  called 
during  the  sessions  of  the  Assembly  in  Pittsburg 
in  1878.  At  this  convention  a  committee  of 
twelve  women  was  appointed,  representing  vari- 
ous parts  of  the  country.  This  committee  after 
failing  to  secure  the  cooperation  of  the  Ladies' 
Board*of  Missions  of  New  York  appealed  to  the 
Board  of  Home  Missions  to  suggest  at  its  meet- 
ing, October  7,  1878,  various  objects  for  which 


INTRODUCTION  33 

the  women  should  work  and  also  suggested  that 
the  various  couimittees  of  the  synods,  as  soon  as 
possible  after  their  appointment,  bring  them- 
selves into  sympathy  and  cooperation  by  the  ap- 
pointment of  a  general  executive  committee,  who 
should  be  their  organ  of  communication  with  the 
Board. 

On  December  12,  1878,  the  synodical  com- 
mittees met  in  the  Bible  House  and  organized 
the  "Woman's  Executive  Committee  of  Home 
Missions"  and  adopted  plans  and  regulations  for 
work.  The  work  was  inaugurated  December  17, 
1878.  The  duties  undertaken  by  them  were : 
To  diffuse  information  regarding  mission  work ; 
to  unify,  as  far  as  possible,  woman's  work  for 
home  missions ;  to  raise  money  for  teachers'  sal- 
aries and  for  general  home  mission  purposes  ;  to 
superintend  the  preparation  and  distribution  of 
home  missionary  boxes  and  to  secure  aid  and 
comfort  for  home  missionaries  and  missionary 
teachers  in  special  cases  of  affliction  or  destitu- 
tion. 

In  1897  its  title  was  changed  from  the 
"  Woman's  Executive  Committee  of  Home  Mis- 
sions" to  the  "Woman's  Board  of  Home  Mis- 
sions." During  the  last  few  years  this  Board 
has  undertaken  the  support  of  missionaries  who 
are  laboring  in  connection  with  the  schools  which 
arc  supported  by  the  Woman's  Board  among  the 


34  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

exceptional    populations.     The    growth   of    the 
work  may  be  indicated  by  the  following  statistics  : 

Amount  reported  for  first  year $3,138 

Amount  reported  for  1901 $289,800 

Whole  amount  raised  from  beginning  .    .      $3,500,000 

Number  of  schools  in  1901 138 

Number  of  teachers  in  1901 425 

Number  of  scholars  in  1901 9,337 

The  history  of  the  home  mission  work  of  our 
Church  here  outlined  is  thus  seen  to  be  coexten- 
sive with  the  country.  It  extends  now  from 
Point  Barrow,  the  northernmost  point  in  Alaska, 
to  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico,  in  the  Caribbean  Sea. 
The  scope  of  it  is  an  endeavor  to  reach  all  classes 
of  the  heterogeneous  population  of  our  country. 
To  that  end  there  are  missions  among  the  for- 
eigners who  have  come  to  us  from  abroad  ;  to  the 
Indians  who  held  first  title  to  our  wide  domain  ; 
to  the  mountaineers  who  had  been  passed  by  in 
the  march  of  civilization ;  to  the  new  states  and 
territories  of  the  rapidly  developing  West ;  to  the 
Mexicans  in  the  Southwest  and  the  Mormons  in 
the  valleys  between  the  Rockies  and  the  Sierra 
Nevadas ;  and  latterly  to  the  inhabitants  of  the 
new  islands  that  have  been  brought  either 
under  our  flag  or  in  close  relations  with  our 
country. 

It  is  the  purpose  of  this  book  to  give  a  brief 
account  of  the  work  in  each  of  these  departments 


INTRODUCTION"  35 

and  it  is  commended  to  the  thoughtful  attention 
of  all  who  are  interested  in  the  development  of 
our  Church  and  the  extension  of  the  kingdom  of 
Christ  in  our  country. 


INDIAN    BABY    IN    BUCKSKIN    CRADLE 


II 

THE  INDIANS— PAST  AND  PRESENT 


CHAPTER  II 

THE   INDIANS — PAST   AND   PRESENT 

"  There  is  no  good  Indian  hut  a  dead  Indian,''^ 
has  almost  become  a  proverb.  But  a  study  of 
this  historic  race  from  the  standpoint  of  Presb}'- 
terian  Missions  will  prove  the  injustice  of  this 
estimate  of  the  Indian  character  and  will  show 
conclusively  that  it  is  possible  for  an  Indian  to  be 
both  good  and  alive. 

This  study,  however,  must  begin  with  his  be- 
ginning, and  be  placed  in  its  proper  setting  in 
his  entire  life — past,  present,  and  future. 

The  American  Indian  of  the  past  forms  an 
intensely  interesting  subject  of  study.  His  re- 
mote past  is  shrouded  in  deep  mystery.  He  is 
the  "original  inhabitant"  of  America.  That 
said,  all  is  said  about  his  origin.  Whence,  when, 
or  how,  he  came  to  American  shores,  no  one  can 
answer.  Some  believe  that  he  came  from  Europe, 
others  that  he  dwelt  originally  in  eastern  Asia, 
and  still  others  that  in  him  we  have  the  ten  lost 
tribes  of  Israel !  The  theory  that  he  came  from 
northeastern  Asia  is  the  most  plausible  and  the 
most  popular;  buo  the  entire  subject  is  one  of 

39 


40  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

speculation.  When  Columbus  came  to  America 
he  was  here,  with  every  appearance  of  having 
been  here  from  remote  antiquity.  Thus  far  our 
certain  knowledge  goes  and  no  farther.  Nor  is 
it  ever  likely  now  to  go  beyond  this. 

The  form  of  government  of  the  American  In- 
dian races  was  tribal.  The  number  of  tribes  was 
very  great  and  many  of  them  were  widely  sepa- 
rated in  distance  and  distinct  in  language  and 
customs.  The  Indian  languages  have  been  esti- 
mated at  not  less  than  two  hundred.  These 
languages  "  were  alike  in  general  structure,  the 
difference  arising  from  the  lack  of  a  written  lan- 
guage ;  and  from  the  wandering  of  the  tribes,  it 
became  impossible  for  one  tribe  to  understand 
another."  The  tribes  were  governed  by  their 
own  laws,  and  by  their  own  chief  or  chiefs,  who 
were  called  "  sachems."  They  spent  their  time 
in  wandering  about  from  place  to  place  and  were 
usually  engaged  in  hunting  or  fighting.  They 
lived  in  tents  made  of  skins  of  animals  and  the 
bark  of  trees.  Their  tents  were  called  "  wig- 
wams," the  meaning  of  which  is  "his  house." 
Tlie  men  or  "  braves  "  were  usually  occupied  as 
huntsmen  or  warriors.  The  women,  who  were 
called  "squaws,"  performed  the  manual  labor  of 
the  camps.  This  arrangement,  however,  consid- 
ering their  manner  of  life,  was  not  such  an  un- 
natural one.     The  Indian  woman  was  not  a  slave 


THE   INDIANS — PAST   AND   PRESENT         41 

or  a  chattel ;  and  in  some  civilized  countries,  the 
women  have  performed  as  difficult  physical  la- 
bors as  did  the  Indian  women. 

The  character  of  the  American  Indian  has 
been  variously  estimated.  James  Fenimore  / 
Cooper,  in  his  matchless  Indian  stories,  has 
idealized  him  and  has  described  him  as  capable 
of  being  inspired  by  lofty  motives  and  of  per- 
forming heroic  and  self-sacrificing  deeds.  On' 
the  other  hand,  there  have  been  those  who  have 
scarcely  found  language  in  which  to  express 
their  opinion  of  the  cruelty  and  treachery  of  the 
Indian  character.  The  golden  mean  is  perhaps  j 
the  better  estimate.  Like  all  other  races,  the 
Indian  was  a  mixture  of  both  good  and  evil,  and 
Avas  capable  of  performing  both  heroic  and  dia- 
bolical deeds.  One  of  his  strongest  propensities 
was  a  passion  for  war,  and  his  false  and  bar- 
barous principles  of  warfare  account  for  most  that 
is  unlovely  and  condemnable  in  his  character. 

The  religious  life  of  the  Indian  was  most 
marked.  His  "  untutored  mind  saw  God  in  the 
cloud  and  heard  him  in  the  wind."  He  called  his  ; 
deity  the  "  Great  Spirit."  But  in  addition  to  the 
Great  Spirit,  he  saw  "  indwelling  spirits  in  every- 
thing, and  this  gave  vitality  to  his  descriptions, 
and  made  his  nature  stories  very  poetical,  both  in 
idea  and  language."  The  Dakotas  called  meteors 
"  spirits  flying  through  the  air,"  and  described 


42  PRESBYTERIAl^   HOME   MISSIONS 

the  Milky  Way  as  "  the  track  along  which  the 
celestial  huntsman  finds  his  prey."  The  Indian 
also  believed  in  a  future  life,  his  "  happy  hunting 
grounds  "  beyond  the  grave.  His  forms  of  wor- 
ship were  fanciful  and  crude,  yet  contained  the 
germs  of  truth.  Prayer  was  a  common  thing 
among  them.  Fasting  as  a  religious  duty  was 
observed  by  many  tribes.  Some  also  had  special 
times  of  consecration.  The  eighth  year  of  a 
Dakota  boy  was  marked  by  such  a  service.  At 
break  of  day  he  went  alone  to  some  hilltop 
where  he  spent  the  day  with  the  Great  Spirit. 
He  ate  no  food,  and  had  no  companionship,  but 
spent  the  day  in  meditation,  and  at  intervals 
would  pray,  "  O  "Wakondab,  have  pity  on  me, 
and  make  me  a  great  man."  At  the  age  of 
sixteen  years  this  period  of  meditation  and  fast- 
ing lasted  over  two  days,  and  at  eighteen  years 
it  lasted  for  four  days.  The  primitive  Indian 
had  also  his  days  of  thanksgiving  and  of  special 
sacrifice  to  the  Great  Spirit.  A  beautiful  story, 
illustrative  of  this  fact,  is  told  of  Tecaughre- 
tanego,  an  old  Delaware  chief,  who  lived  in  what 
is  now  the  State  of  Ohio.  Having  recovered  from 
a  serious  sickness  of  many  weeks,  he  went  outside 
his  lodge,  built  a  fire  before  the  door  of  his  wig- 
wam, and  laid  thereon  his  single  leaf  of  tobacco. 
Then  he  bowed  bis  head  and  offered  this  prayer : 
"  O  Great  Spirit,  this  is  my  last  leaf  of  tobacco, 


THE   INDIANS — PAST   AND    PRESENT         43 

and  I  know  not  Avliere  I  shall  get  another. 
Thou  knowest  how  fond  I  am  of  tobacco,  but  I 
freely  give  this  last  leaf  to  thee  and  I  thank  thee 
for  restoring  me  to  health  once  more." 

A  peculiar  phase  of  the  religious  life  of  the 
Indians  was  their  dances.  These  undoubtedly 
partook  of  a  religious  character.  The  principal 
ones  were  the  Fire  Dance,  Snake  Dance,  Sun 
Dance,  and  Ghost  Dance.  The  Fire  Dance  was 
in  honor  of  the  god  of  fire.  It  was  begun  with 
great  ceremonies  by  the  medicine  man,  and  was 
practiced  by  the  Apaches  and  Navajoes.  The 
Snake  Dance  Avas  peculiar  to  the  Moquis  of 
Arizona  and  was  characterized  by  the  handling 
and  worship  of  snakes.  The  Sun  Dance  was  a 
custom  of  the  Sioux,  and  at  the  time  of  its  cele- 
bration they  feasted  on  prepared  poppy.  The 
Ghost  Dance,  common  to  many  tribes,  was  cele- 
brated before  entering  upon  the  warpath. 

The  prophet  and  priest  of  the  Indian  religion 
was  the  medicine  man.  He  Avas  all  powerful 
among  them.  Any  young  brave  who  had  the 
"  gift "  could  aspire  to  this  influential  position. 
The  presence  of  the  "  gift "  was  proven  by  the 
endurance  of  severe  physical  tests,  fasts,  vigils, 
surviving  poisonous  snake  bites,  and  the  dread- 
ful sweat  bath.  The  medicine  man,  when  in 
official  regalia,  ceased  to  be  a  mere  man  and  be- 
came the  embodiment  and  personification  of  all 


44  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

the  powers  which  he  represented.  This  regalia 
consisted  of  a  medicine  shirt,  a  medicine  hat,  a 
sacred  belt,  and  a  mask,  which  inspired  great 
dread.  The  medicine  shirt  was  made  of  buck- 
skin covered  with  symbolical  figures.  No  one 
was  allowed  to  see  the  medicine  belt  or  cord  be- 
cause of  its  sacredness.  It  is  sometimes  found 
on  the  braves  after  death.  The  medicine  hat 
was  likewise  very  sacredly  esteemed.  "When  a 
white  man  among  the  Apaches  had  the  presump- 
tion to  touch  one  or  to  take  a  picture  of  it,  the  In- 
dian men  were  greatly  excited,  and  purified  both 
it  and  themselves  with  sacred  powder.  Of  an 
artist  who  said  that  the  belt  would  be  improved 
if  cleansed  of  the  grease  and  dirt  upon  it,  they 
demanded  damages  to  the  extent  of  thirty 
dollars.  In  this  pontifical  outfit,  the  medicine 
man  practiced  his  necromancy  and  magical  rites 
with  great  noise  and  grotesque  action.  He 
alone  could  perform  the  incantations  and  furnish 
the  anointed  amulets  that  were  supposed  to  pro- 
tect the  warrior  when  on  the  warpath. 

In  most  cases,  when  the  white  man  came  to 
American  shores,  the  Indian  treated  him  kindly 
and  considerately.  Columbus  and  his  men  were 
looked  upon  as  a  superior  class  of  beings  and 
treated  accordingly.  Their  fidelity  to  Penn's 
treaty  is  historic.  In  the  old  Indian  cemetery 
at   Stockbridge,    Mass.,  is  a  shaft  bearing  this 


THE   INDIANS — PAST   AND   PRESENT  45 

inscription,  "  Tlie  friends  of  our  fathers."  But 
in  other  cases  and  sometimes  when  it  was  least 
deserved,  they  were  treacherous,  cruel,  and  blood- 
thirsty. But  it  can  scarcely  be  said  that  they 
were  worse  than  the  white  man.  "With  the 
coming  of  the  white  man,  it  was  inevitable 
that  Indian  civilization  should  perish,  but  it 
need  not  have  gone  down  in  shame  and  disgrace 
to  its  destroyer.  Yet  every  student  of  history 
knows  that  it  has.  The  Indian's  land  was  taken 
from  him  by  force,  or  purchased  for  a  paltry 
sum,  insignificant  in  comparison  to  its  real  value. 
Treaties  were  recklessly  broken.  Sacred  promi- 
ses were  never  kept.  Cruel  wars  of  extermina- 
tion were  waged  upon  the  slightest  pretext,  or 
without  any,  if  necessary  for  looting  the  Indians 
of  their  lands.  "  The  Indians  began  by  meeting 
kindness  with  kindness,  and  good  faith  with 
good  faith.  But  the  after  records  !  Their  story 
can  be  written  in  two  words  :  *  Driven  out ! ' 
and  ours  in  three :  '  Fair  promises  broken.' " 
The  pathway  of  the  downfall  of  Indian  civiliza- 
tion is  marked  by  perfidy,  by  injustice,  and  by 
cruelty.  What  a  debt  we  owe  to  the  American 
Indian!  For  hunting  grounds  taken  what  less 
can  we  do  than  show  him  the  way  to  the  true 
hunting  grounds  of  the  future  ?  For  covenants 
broken  and  promises  unkept,  what  less  can  we 
do  than  point  him  to  the  covenant-keeping  God, 


46  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

whose  promises  are  "  yea  and  amen  in  Christ 
Jesus  "  ? 

The  American  Indian  of  the  present  is  in  a 
vastly  different  situation  than  the  American  In- 
dian of  the  past.  Then  he  roamed  at  will  over 
the  boundless  American  prairies ;  to-day  he  is 
confined  in  the  government  reservations  or 
dwells  in  a  particular  locality.  Then  he  inhab- 
ited a  continent  alone  ;  to-day  he  shares  it  with 
eighty  millions  of  people,  different  in  race,  color, 
religion,  and  civilization. 

Whether  the  Indian  is  dying  out  as  a  result  of 
his  new  surroundings  and  his  contact  with  a  dif- 
ferent civilization  is  both  an  interesting  and  im- 
portant question  to  the  supporters  of  Christian 
missions  among  them.  It  is  claimed  and  is  com- 
monly believed  that  such  is  the  case.  The  popu- 
lar belief  is  that  as  a  result  of  contact  with  the 
white  man,  the  taking  on  of  his  civilization,  and 
particularly  his  vices,  the  ruthless  wars  that  have 
been  waged,  the  introduction  of  the  worst  forms 
of  disease,  especially  consumption,  the  policy  of 
the  Government  of  treating  the  Indians  as  tribes 
and  not  as  individuals,  make  it  only  a  matter  of 
time  until  the  Indian  question  shall  be  solved  by 
his  extinction.  This  belief  however  is  undoubt- 
edly false,  and  arises  principally  from  a  misun- 
derstanding of  the  original  number  of  American 
natives.     Past  estimates  of  the  Indian  population 


THE   INDIANS — PAST   AND   PRESENT         47 

of  our  country  have  been  very  high  and  without 
doubt,  too  high.  The  estimates  of  the  early  ex- 
plorers were  fanciful  and  false,  characterized  by 
their  usual  tendency  to  exaggerate  everything  in 
connection  with  the  new  world  to  which  they  had 
come.  Because  of  the  numerous  bands  of  war- 
riors, it  was  said  "  the  woods  are  full  of  them," 
and  that  the  country  "swarmed  with  the  sav- 
ages." Estimates  based  upon  such  language 
were  naturally  very  high.  In  1816  Elias  Boudi- 
not,  then  considered  the  best  authority  on  Indian 
statistics,  published  the  names  of  three  hundred 
tribes,  and  estimated  their  population  in  North 
America  to  be  from  two  to  five  millions.  But 
this  estimate  is  only  a  guess  and  probably  not  a 
very  good  guess.  Yet  such  exaggerated  esti- 
mates account  for  the  prevalent  belief  that  the 
Indian  is  becoming  extinct.  If  they  were  true, 
such  would  certainly  be  the  case,  for  there  are  no 
such  numbers  in  existence  to-day.  But  that  they 
are  not  true  is  the  testimony  of  those  who  have 
carefully  investigated  the  subject.  Hon.  AV.  A. 
Jones,  United  States  Commissioner  to  the  In- 
dians, strenuously  opposes  the  theory  that  the 
Indian  is  dying  out.  He  believes  that  the  early 
estimates  were  greatly  exaggerated,  and  de- 
clares that  "  taking  the  concurrent  facts  of  his- 
tory into  consideration,  it  can  with  a  great 
deo;ree  of  confidence  be  stated  that  the  Indian 


48  PRESBYTERIAI!^   H03IE   MISSIONS 

population  of  the  United  States  has  been  little 
diminished  from  the  daj'^s  of  Columbus,  Corlando, 
Raleigh,  Captain  John  Smith,  and  other  early 
explorers."  This  opinion  seems  to  be  the  correct 
one.  While  early  settlers  fancied  that  the  woods 
were  full  of  Indians,  it  is  now  known  that  there 
were  vast  territories  unoccupied  by  them,  and 
never  visited  except  on  hunting  or  warlike  expe- 
ditions. It  is  probable  that  the  Indian  population 
east  of  the  Mississippi  River  from  1620  to  1750 
never  exceeded  200,000 ;  and  that  the  entire 
population  of  the  United  States  at  the  time  of 
the  discovery  of  America,  did  not  exceed  300,000. 
About  two  hundred  years  ago  the  best  estimates 
placed  the  Indian  population  of  the  United  States 
east  of  the  Mississippi  at  149,000.  There  is  no 
reason  to  doubt  the  correctness  of  these  conserv- 
ative estimates.  The  result  of  their  acceptance 
leads  to  the  conclusion  that  the  Indian  is  not 
dying  out,  and  this  conclusion  is  undoubtedly 
correct.  Some  tribes  have  entirely  disappeared, 
but  the  race  is  not  becoming  extinct.  While 
some  tribes  decrease,  others  increase.  One  tribe 
is  said  to  have  doubled  its  population  in  fifteen 
years.  The  report  of  the  Commissioner  to  the 
Indians  shows  that  the  birth  rate  of  the  Indians 
is  increasing.  This  being  the  situation,  mission- 
ary work  among  the  Indians  is  more  imperative 
and  encouraging.     The  work  is  not  the  temper- 


THE   INDIANS— PAST   AND   PRESENT         49 

ary  ministration  of  the  gospel  to  a  cl3ang  people, 
which  would  be  worthy  of  all  our  efforts,  but  it 
is  a  permanent  work,  descending  to  children's 
children,  among  those  who  yet  may  be  some- 
thing more  than  "  wards  "  in  their  own  land. 

The  present  distribution  of  the  Indians  may 
be  best  understood  by  dividing  them  into  eight 
classes,  as  has  been  done  by  the  Board  of  Home 
Missions,  as  follows  :  — 

1.  The  Six  Nations  of  New  York. — These 
number  about  5,500,  and  are  but  little  removed 
from  the  simpler  life  of  the  poor  whites  of  the 
State. 

2.  The  Five  Civilized  Tribes. — These  are  the 
Cherokees,  Chickasaws,  Choctaws,  Creeks,  and 
Seminoles.  They  live  in  Indian  Territory,  and 
number  nearly  67,000.  The  gospel  has  been 
preached  and  schools  maintained  among  these 
tribes  for  generations,  so  that  few  traces  of  their 
native  Indian  life  are  seen  among  them  to-day. 

3.  The  Eastern  Cherokees  of  North  Carolina. 
— These  refused  to  go  westward  with  the  great 
body  of  their  sixty  tribes  years  ago,  but  remained 
among  the  mountain  homes  of  their  forefathers. 
Their  population  is  about  35,000. 

4.  Indians  on  Reservations. — These  reserva- 
tions are  under  the  control  of  the  national  Gov- 
ernment, are  not  taxed  or  taxable,  and  are  to 
be  found   in  almost  every  one  of  the  "Western 


50  PRESRYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

States.      The  population  of  the  reservations  is 
over  125,000. 

6.  The  Pueblos  of  New  Mexico. — The  ances- 
tors of  the  Pueblos  were  a  remarkable  and  an- 
cient people.  They  were  neither  warlike  nor 
migratory,  but  dwelt  in  houses,  built  of  bricks, 
after  a  style  of  architecture  peculiarly  their  own. 
The  Pueblos  number  nearly  10,000. 

7.  The  Apaches. — They  consist  of  about  400 
prisoners  of  war,  under  the  War  Department. 

8.  Imprisoned  Indians. — These  are  in  na- 
tional, state  or  territorial  prisons.  Their  number 
is  about  200. 

The  relation  of  the  United  States  Government 
to  the  Indian  has  been  divided  into  three  periods, 
the  colonial^  the  national,  and  the  modern.,  the 
last  beginning  with  the  presidency  of  General 
Grant. 

The  colonial  period  was  characterized  by  con- 
stant wars,  bloodshed,  and  rapine.  The  trouble 
arose  mainly  from  the  fact  that  two  races  and 
civilizations,  differing  vastly  in  character,  had 
been  brought  together  on  our  shores  with  the 
coming  of  the  white  man.  Yet  the  fact  can- 
not be  disguised  that  the  most  bloody  Indian 
wars  and  massacres  of  colonial  days  were  in- 
spired by  the  whites  themselves.  The  English 
and  the  French  struggled  for  a  century  for  su- 
premacy in  America ;  and  in  these  struggles,  both 


THE  INDIANS — PAST   AND   PRESENT         51 

nations  and  even  the  American  colonists  did  not 
scruple  to  use  the  Indians  as  allies  when  sorely 
pressed.  "  French  tomahawks  and  scalping 
knives  struck  down  and  mutilated  English 
women  and  children,  in  the  exposed  settlements 
of  Massachusetts,  Pennsylvania,  and  Virginia. 
French  officers  were  in  command  at  Deerfield,  at 
Fort  "William  Henry,  and  at  Braddock's  defeat. 
Nor  does  history  record  that  they  put  forth  any 
effort  to  prevent  the  horrors  perpetrated  by  the 
Indians.  Nor  was  England  in  her  hour  of  need 
more  scrupulous.  The  savage  Iroquois  were  called 
to  her  aid  to  subdue  the  colonists  struggling  for 
independence.  English  tomahawks  and  scalping 
knives  were  red  with  our  fathers'  blood  at 
"Wyoming,  at  Oriskany,  and  at  the  Minnisink. 
Nor  does  history  record  that  the  British  or  Tory 
officers  in  command  sought  to  restrain  their  mur- 
derous use.  The  colonists  themselves  in  some 
instances  employed  Indian  allies  in  the  struggle 
with  England."  Yet  with  all  this,  the  blame 
was  placed  upon  the  Indian.  The  whites  sowed 
the  wind  and  expected  in  vain  to  escape  the 
whirlwind.  For  disasters  which  he  himself  in- 
spired, the  white  man  demanded  vengeance  and 
would  rob  the  Indian  of  his  land.  The  Indian 
had  to  fight  or  die,  and  being  human  he  decided 
to  fight.  The  only  court  to  which  he  could  ap- 
peal was  that  of  force  and  when  all  is  taken  into 


62  PKESBYTEKIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

consideration,  we  could  not  expect  him  to  have 
done  otherwise. 

The  national  period  of  the  Government's  rela- 
tion to  the  Indian  has  been  called  "  a  century  of 
dishonor."  Peace  with  the  Indians  was  impos- 
sible because  of  the  insatiate  greed  of  the  settler 
for  the  Indian's  land.  To  prevent  settlement 
upon  the  lands  allotted  to  the  Indians  was  impos- 
sible. Washington  tried  it,  but  failed.  He  rec- 
ommended to  Congress  that  "no  settlements 
should  be  made  west  of  a  clearly  marked  bound- 
ary line,  and  that  no  purchase  of  land  from  the 
Indians  except  by  the  Government  should  be  per- 
mitted. This  recommendation  however  was  dis- 
regarded, and  another  Indian  war  was  the  result. 
In  the  earliest  treaties  made  by  the  Government 
with  the  Indians,  where  boundary  lines  were  dis- 
tinctly marked,  the  lands  designated  were  given 
to  the  Indians  fo7'ever,  and  white  settlers  were 
left  to  the  mercy  of  the  Indians  for  punishment. 
On  January  21,  1Y85,  such  a  treaty  was  made 
with  the  Ottawas,  Chippewas,  and  Delawares. 
But  these  treaties  were  utterly  disregarded  by 
the  whites,  and  the  wars  followed  which  resulted 
in  the  defeat  of  General  St.  Clair  and  the  massa- 
cre of  his  troops,  and  in  the  victory  of  Gen. 
Anthony  Wayne  over  the  Miamis.  These  wars 
are  illustrative  of  every  war  that  has  occurred 
with  the  Indians  from  that  time  to  this.     Treat- 


THE  INDIANS — PAST  AND  PRESENT    53 

ies  were  made,  promising  lands  to  the  Indians, 
'  while  water  ran  and  grass  grew.'  The  ink  in 
which  the  treaty  was  written  was  scarcely  dry 
before  our  unrestrained  and  unrestrainable  set- 
tlers would  proceed  to  violate  their  terms.  This 
invariably  led  to  irritation,  and  to  individual  acts 
of  revenge  on  the  part  of  the  Indians, — and  then 
followed  war.  It  was  this  which  led  to  St. 
Clair's  Indian  war  and  his  defeat,  to  Wayne's 
victory  over  the  Miamis,  to  the  troubles  between 
the  United  States  and  Tecumseh,  the  battle  of 
Tippecanoe,  and  to  the  losses  which  our  people 
suffered  from  Tecumseh's  alliance  with  the  Brit- 
ish in  the  War  of  1812.  Failure  to  pay  annuities 
due  the  Sioux  Indians  by  the  Government  was 
one  of  the  causes  that  led  to  the  awful  Minnesota 
massacre  in  1862.  The  Sitting  Bull  campaign, 
which  culminated  in  the  Custer  massacre,  was  a 
direct  result  of  violation  of  treaty  agreement, 
through  the  invasion  of  the  Black  Hills  by  pro- 
spectors in  search  of  gold.  The  removal  of  the 
Cherokees  from  Georgia  by  United  States  troops 
was  one  of  the  most  unjustifiable  outrages  that 
our  history  records,  and  one  of  the  few  that  pro- 
voked no  bloodshed.  The  Cherokees  had  made 
great  advance  in  civilization,  and  for  years  had 
been  under  the  influence  of  Christianity.  The 
demand  for  their  removal  by  the  United  States 
on  the  part  of  Georgia  was  dictated  wholly  by 


54  PKESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

greed,  was  contrary  to  treaty  provisions,  and  was 
without  excuse.  The  discussion  agitated  the 
whole  country,  but  finally  Congress  yielded,  and 
General  Scott  was  ordered  to  remove  these  un- 
happy people  from  the  land  of  their  fathers,  and 
thus  to  destroy  their  civilization  just  as  it  was 
beginning  to  bear  fruit.  The  march  through  the 
wilderness  caused  the  death  of  at  least  half  the 
tribe."  Thus  Mr.  Herbert  Welch,  the  Secretary 
of  the  Indian  Eights  Association  records  our 
dealings  with  the  Indians ; — and  what  a  black  rec- 
ord it  is  and  how  it  should  inspire  us  to  make 
every  possible  reparation  to  this  unfortunate  race, 
especially  by  giving  to  it  the  gospel  of  Christ ! 

The  modern  period  of  our  relations  with  the 
Indians  began  with  the  first  term  of  General 
Grant  as  President.  In  1870  he  introduced  what 
has  been  called  "The  Peace  Policy."  He  an- 
nounced his  intention  of  dealing  \vith  the  Indian 
question  in  a  more  just  and  friendly  manner. 
He  advocated  their  civilization,  the  education  of 
their  children,  and  the  fulfillment  of  treaty  obli- 
gations. He  appealed  to  Christian  bodies  to  as- 
sist in  their  amelioration.  As  a  result  of  his 
policy  the  "Indian  Eights  Association"  was 
formed.  It  consists  of  nine  members,  for  whose 
services  no  salary  is  paid.  The  work  of  the  as- 
sociation is  to  "spread  correct  information,  to 
create  intelligent  interest,  to  set  in  motion  public 


THE   INDIANS — PAST   AND   PRESENT         55 

and  private  forces  which  will  bring  about  legisla- 
tion, and  by  public  meetings  and  private  labors 
to  prevent  wrongs  against  the  Indian  and  to 
further  good  works  of  many  kinds  for  him." 
The  "  Woman's  National  Indian  Association  "  is 
a  supplementary  body,  which  deals  philanthrop- 
ically  with  the  Indian  as  an  individual.  It  es- 
tablishes missions  where  there  are  none  and  turns 
them  over  to  Christian  denominations,  who  will 
care  for  them. 

The  Peace  Policy  has  produced  splendid  re- 
sults. Indian  outbreaks  are  less  frequent.  Mili- 
tary outposts  have  been  abandoned,  and  some 
have  even  been  turned  into  schools.  Savage  and 
barbarous  customs  are  giving  way  to  the  forms 
of  civilization. 

The  Department  of  the  Interior  at  Washing- 
ton has  charge  of  the  government  of  the  Indians. 
The  Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs  is  at  the 
head  of  the  Indian  office,  which  is  a  bureau  in 
this  department.  The  majority  of  the  Indians 
to-day  are  on  reservations — a  term  applied  to 
the  land  set  apart  or  reserved  by  the  Government 
for  the  exclusive  use  of  the  Indians.  On  each 
reservation  is  a  government  agent,  who  has  asso- 
ciated with  him,  a  physician,  clerk,  farmers,  po- 
licemen, and  other  employees,  all  of  whom  are 
paid  by  the  Government.  The  entire  establish- 
ment is  called  an  Indian  agency.     The  agents 


56  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

are  responsible  to  the  Commissioner  of  Indians, 
wlio  is  appointed  by  the  President,  and  resides 
in  Washington. 

One  of  the  worst  features  of  the  Eeservation 
System  is  the  distribution  of  rations.  The  res- 
ervations are  not  fitted  for  agriculture.  The  in- 
habitants have  therefore  to  be  fed  by  the  Gov- 
ernment, which  deals  out  rations  periodically  to 
many  of  the  tribes.  This  is  a  vicious  system.  It 
breeds  laziness  and  incapacity.  It  gives  the  In- 
dian agent,  if  he  be  unscrupulous,  a  dangerous 
advantage  over  those  for  whom  he  should  care, 
for  he  can  give  or  withhold  the  ration,  and  thus 
has  the  very  lives  of  the  "  nation's  wards  "  in  his 
hands.  The  Indian  by  such  a  system  never  can 
be  taught  to  become  a  self-respecting  and  self- 
supporting  citizen. 

The  education  of  the  Indian  boys  and  girls  is 
receiving  special  attention  by  the  Government. 
It  aims  to  educate  them  both  industrially  and 
intellectually.  For  this  purpose  it  has  estab- 
lished non-reservation  boarding  schools,  reserva- 
tion boarding  schools,  and  reservation  and  inde- 
pendent day  schools.  The  Indians  also  attend 
state  and  territorial  public  schools,  contract  day 
and  boarding  schools,  and  mission  day  and  board- 
ing schools.  The  object  of  Indian  education  is 
not  so  much  to  give  a  "  higher  education  "  as  it 
is  to  fit  the  boys  and  girls  for  the  duties  of  every- 


THE   INDIANS — PAST   AND   PRESENT  57 

day  life.  The  course  of  instruction  is  patterned 
after  that  in  our  common  schools,  and  to  this  is 
added  industrial  training.  In  the  large  non-res- 
ervation schools,  shoemaking,  harness-making, 
tailoring,  blacksmithing,  plastering,  and  brick- 
making  and  laying,  are  taught  with  considerable 
effectiveness.  The  harness  shop  of  Hampton 
schools  some  time  ago  completed  an  order  for 
fine  harness  for  John  Wanamaker  of  Philadel- 
phia and  New  York.  Fifty  trucks  have  been 
furnished  to  a  Richmond  house,  and  fifty  more  to 
the  Sea  Board  Air  Line  Company.  The  Carlisle, 
Pa.,  school  furnishes  the  Indian  service  with  a  su- 
perior farm  wagon.  In  Washington  and  Oregon 
the  Indians  do  the  hop  picking.  The  keeping  of 
bees  is  a  specialty  at  Grand  Junction,  Colorado. 
At  Fort  Hall,  Idaho,  which  is  a  cattle-raising 
district,  the  herding  and  care  of  cattle,  the 
slaughtering  of  beef  cattle,  and  the  dairy  busi- 
ness, are  taught. 

The  number  of  non-reservation  schools  is 
twenty-five,  with  an  enrollment  of  Y,928.  The 
largest  and  oldest  of  these  schools  is  at  Carlisle, 
Pa.  It  Avas  opened  November  1, 1879,  and  has  an 
enrollment  of  over  1,000.  There  are  eighty-eight 
reservation  boarding  schools,  with  an  enrollment 
of  10,782.  The  day  schools  number  138  and 
have  an  enrollment  of  4,622.  The  contract  day 
and  boarding-  schools  have  an  enrollment  of  130. 


58  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

The  public  schools  have  on  their  rolls  the  names 
of  257  Indian  pupils.  The  mission  boarding 
schools  are  attended  by  3,531  Indian  scholars 
{Commissioner's  Report  for  1901^  p.  29). 

The  mission  schools  among  the  Indians  are 
thus  described  by  the  Commissioner  of  Indian 
Affairs : — "  Mission  schools  are  a  growing  class  of 
schools,  whose  work  is  a  great  benefit  not  only  to 
the  children  but  also  to  the  adult  Indians.  They 
are  operated  by  various  religious  denominations, 
both  Protestant  and  Catholic,  and  also  by  phil- 
anthropic associations.  Teachers,  employees,  food, 
clothing,  and  buildings,  are  provided  by  the  con- 
ductors of  the  schools.  The  Government  only 
assumes  supervisory  care  over  them.  Agents 
and  other  government  officials  are  directed  to 
lend  'a  helping  hand  and  assist  the  mission- 
ary efforts  of  the  employees  in  securing  a 
legitimate  attendance.'  Connected  with  many 
of  the  schools  are  small  mission  churches,  which 
have  a  wide  influence  for  good  on  the  community. 
Children  in  the  government  schools  are  advised 
and  urged  to  attend  the  church  of  their  choice  " 
{Commissioner'' s  Reiyort  for  1900). 

These  efforts  at  education  cannot  but  bear  fruit 
for  the  future.  It  may  be  true  that  some  Avho 
return  from  the  schools  to  the  reservations  lapse 
into  their  old  lives  or  even  worse,  but  not  all  do ; 
and  among  what  people  does  education  always 


THE  INDIANS — PAST   AND   PRESENT         59 

assure  stability  of  character  and  a  successful 
career  ?  As  conditions  become  more  thoroughly 
understood,  safeguards  can  be  provided  against 
unusual  retrogation,  and  the  beneficent  results 
of  education  and  industrial  training  will  become 
even  more  manifest.  Our  Government  owes  it  as 
a  debt  to  the  descendants  of  the  original  owners 
of  our  land  to  make  their  advancement  in  life  as 
assured  as  possible.  In  no  way  can  this  better 
be  accomplished  than  by  educating  them,  so  that 
they  can  earn  a  respectable  livelihood.  Instead 
of  herding  them  like  cattle  on  reservations,  and 
feeding  them  with  a  government  spoon,  the 
American  Indians  should  be  treated  as  individ- 
uals and  placed  in  positions,  where,  as  self-respect- 
ing citizens,  they  must  make  their  own  living,  or 
fall  behind  in  their  failure  to  do  so. 

It  should  be  a  matter  of  great  satisfaction  to 
all  who  are  interested  in  the  welfare  of  the  In- 
dian that  this  policy  is  at  last  being  inaugurated 
by  the  Government.  The  Indian  Commissioner 
in  his  report  for  1901  says,  "  Certainly  it  is  time 
to  make  a  move  toward  terminating  the  guar- 
dianship which  has  so  long  been  exercised  over 
the  Indians  and  putting  them  upon  equal  foot- 
ing with  the  white  man,  so  far  as  their  relations 
with  the  Government  are  concerned  " ;  and  again, 
"  whatever  the  condition  of  the  Indian  may  be, 
he  should  be  removed  from  a  state  of  depend- 


60  PRESBYTEEIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

ence  to  one  of  independence.  And  the  only  way 
to  do  this  is  to  take  away  those  things  that 
encourage  him  to  lead  an  idle  life,  and  after 
giving  him  a  fair  start,  leave  him  to  take  care 
of  himself.  To  that  it  must  come  in  the  end 
and  the  sooner  steps  are  taken  to  bring  it  about 
the  better.  That  there  will  be  many  failures, 
and  much  suffering  is  inevitable  in  the  very  na- 
ture of  things,  for  it  is  only  by  sacrifice  and 
suffering  that  the  heights  of  civilization  are 
reached."  In  pursuance  of  this  policy,  the  work 
of  cutting  "  off  rations  from  all  Indians  except 
those  who  are  incapacitated  in  some  way  from 
earning  a  support,"  has  already  been  begun,  and 
"  the  result  has  been  surprising.  The  office  feels 
that  a  great  stride  has  been  taken  toward  the 
advancement,  civilization  and  independence  of 
the  race ;  a  step,  that  if  followed  up,  will  lead 
to  the  discontinuance  of  the  ration  system  as  far 
as  it  applies  to  able-bodied  Indians,  the  abolition 
of  the  reservation,  and  ultimately  to  the  absorp- 
tion of  the  Indian  in  our  body  politic  "  {Report 
for  1901,  pp.  4,  5,  6).  It  is  to  be  sincerely  hoped 
that  this  policy,  in  spite  of  the  difficulties  in  the 
way,  can  be  put  into  practical  effect.  If  so,  then 
the  future  of  America's  native  race  brightens 
materially,  for  dependent  wardship  will  give 
place  to  independent  citizenship. 


Ill 

THE  INDIANS— MISSIONS 


CHAPTER  III 

THE   INDIANS— MISSIONS 

The  history  of  Indian  missions  dates  back  as 
far  as  1528.  The  first  missionary  efforts  among 
the  American  Indians  were  made  by  Spanish 
Catholics.  In  1526  Pamphilius  de  Narvaez,  a 
Spanish  explorer,  started  out  to  conquer  Florida. 
He  had  with  him  a  number  of  Franciscan  monks. 
The  expedition  however  was  a  failure.  On  their 
return  the  boats  containing  the  missionaries  were 
wrecked.  They  reached  land,  but  only  to  perish 
by  starvation,  sickness,  and  the  cruelty  of  the 
natives.  What  they  did  is  not  known,  but  no 
regularly  organized  mission  was  established.  Mis- 
sionaries also  accompanied  Ferdinand  de  Soto  on 
his  famous  but  fatal  expedition,  but  every  one 
of  them  perished,  and  we  know  of  no  attempt  to 
found  a  mission.  After  several  other  unsuccess- 
ful attempts,  the  first  successful  mission  to  the 
American  Indians  was  established  at  St.  Augus- 
tine, in  1573,  by  Spanish  Franciscan  monks. 

The  Protestant  Church  began  its  missionary 
work  among  the  Indians  in  New  England  in 
1643.     The  place  was  the  Island  of  Martha's 

63 


64  TRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

Vineyard  and  the  first  missionaries  were  the 
Meyhews.  In  16-il  Thomas  Meyhew,  Sr.,  re- 
ceived a  grant  of  Martha's  Vineyard  and  the  sur- 
rounding islands.  Later  on,  his  son,  Thomas  Mey- 
hew, Jr.,  was  called  by  the  settlers  of  the  island 
to  become  their  pastor.  He  extended  his  work 
to  the  several  thousand  Indians  about  him.  He 
learned  their  ways  and  language  and  established 
a  successful  mission.  The  first  convert  among 
the  New  England  Indians  was  Hiacoomes,  who 
afterwards  became  a  preacher  to  his  own  people. 
Mr.  Meyhew's  labors  were  greatly  blessed.  In 
1651,  he  reported  190  conversions.  In  January, 
1651,  the  first  school  for  Indian  children  was 
established.  In  October,  1652,  the  first  Indian 
Church  was  organized,  with  a  membership  of 
282.  While  on  his  way  to  England  in  1657  to 
secure  aid  for  his  work,  Mr.  Meyhew  was  lost  at 
sea.  His  father,  then  over  seventy  years  of  age, 
studied  the  Indian  language  and  carried  on  the 
work  of  his  son.  "  He  spared  himself  no  pains 
in  his  work,  often  walking  twenty  miles  through 
the  woods  in  order  to  preach  or  visit  these 
Indians."  The  gospel  was  carried  by  him  and 
his  converts  to  Nantucket.  In  1670  the  first  In- 
dian Church  with  a  native  pastor  was  organized. 
Governor  Meyhew  continued  his  labors  until  his 
death  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-two.  He 
was  in  his  last  ^''ears  assisted  by  Eev.  John  Cotton 


THE   INDIANS — MISSIONS  65 

and  by  his  grandson,  Kev.  Experience  Meyliew, 
who  translated  the  Psalms  and  the  Gospel  of 
John  into  the  Indian  vernacular. 

Most  conspicuous  among  the  early  successful 
missionaries  to  the  Indians  stands  John  Eliot, 
"  the  apostle  to  the  Indians."  The  field  of  his 
labors  was  among  the  Pequots  and  other  tribes 
of  eastern  Massachusetts.  He  began  his  work 
in  1646  while  pastor  of  the  church  at  Roxbury, 
Mass.  He  labored  incessantly  and  his  efforts 
were  crowned  with  success.  He  gathered  his 
converts  into  towns  and  established  schools  and 
civilized  industries  among  them.  These  towns 
were  known  as  "  praying  bands "  or  "  Indian 
praying  towns."  He  framed  two  catechisms  for 
Indian  use  and  translated  the  Bible  into  their 
language,  which  was  his  greatest  work.  The 
translation  of  the  entire  Bible  was  completed  in 
December,  1658.  Two  years  later  the  printing 
of  it  was  finished.  This  was  the  first  Bible 
printed  on  the  American  continent.  What  a 
providence  that  it  shoidd  have  been  in  the  In- 
dian tongue!  Eliot's  motto,  written  at  the  end 
of  his  Indian  grammar  was, 

"  Prayer  and  Pains^ 
Through  Faith  in  Jesus  Christ 
Will  do  Anything.''^ 

He  labored  for  thirty  years  among  his  people 


66  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

teaching  them  to  work,  to  read  and  to  pray. 
"  He  gave  them  a  Bible  in  their  own  tongue, 
and  from  those  hunting  and  fighting  savages 
six  Indian  churches  were  gathered,  whose 
more  than  a  thousand  'Praying  Indians'  once 
and  again  stood  firm  against  fearful  odds  and 
became  a  bulwark  of  safety  to  their  pale-face 
neighbors." 

The  Quakers  began  their  Indian  missionary 
work  in  Pennsylvania  in  1685.  Penn's  famous 
treaty  with  the  Delawares,  which  was  unbroken 
by  either  party  for  seventy  years,  has  been  called 
"  the  brightest  spot  in  all  our  dark  dealings  with 
the  Indian  tribes." 

The  Moravians  early  established  successful  In- 
dian missions.  They  began  their  work  in  west- 
ern Connecticut  in  1742,  but  labored  most  exten- 
sively in  Pennsylvania,  Georgia,  and  Ohio.  The 
leader  of  Moravian  missions  among  the  Delawares 
was  David  Zeisberger,  It  was  in  connection  with 
Moravian  missions  that  the  most  tragic  incident 
of  early  Indian  mission  work  occurred,  namely 
the  destruction  of  Guaddenhlltten,  Ohio,  by 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  March  7,  1782.  Guad- 
denhlltten was  a  Moravian  Indian  village  on  the 
Tuscarawas  River  in  Ohio.  Near  the  close  of 
the  Revolutionary  War  this  community  was  un- 
justly suspected  of  disloyalty  and  was  destroyed 
by  Pennsylvania  soldiers.     The   destruction  of 


THE   INDIANS — MISSIONS  67 

the  village  was  an  unjustifiable  outrage — a  sim- 
ple massacre.  Men,  women,  and  children,  were 
driven  into  a  pen  and  butchered.  Those  who 
escaped  this  butchery  fled  with  their  mission- 
aries to  the  British  garrisons  at  Philadelphia  for 
protection.  "  They  were  pelted  with  mud  and 
stones  by  their  persecutors  as  they  stood  for 
hours  at  the  barrack  doors  waiting  for  them  to 
open."  When  asked  how  they  endured  such 
abuse  so  patiently,  they  replied,  "  We  thought 
of  the  sufferings  of  Christ  ujjon  the  cross  and 
believed  that  if  he  could  endure  so  much  for  us, 
we  could  endure  a  little  for  him."  The  Mora- 
vian missions  in  Georgia,  which  were  very  suc- 
cessful, were  begun  in  1735. 

Eev.  Jonathan  Edwards,  the  great  ISTew  Eng- 
land divine,  was  also  a  successful  missionary 
among  the  Indians.  Leaving  his  church  at 
Northampton  in  1751,  he  became  pastor  of  the 
church  and  missionary  to  the  Indians  at  Stock- 
bridge.  He  had  been  born  at  Old  Stockbridge, 
and  as  a  child  had  learned  the  Indian  language. 
"  It  became,"  he  said,  "  more  familiar  to  me  than 
my  mother  tongue ; "  and  this  knowledge  was  of 
great  use  to  him  in  his  work  as  a  missionary. 
In  1758,  when  Mr.  Edwards  became  president  of 
Princeton  College,  the  Stockbridge  Indians  were 
moved  to  Oneida  County,  New  York,  whither 
they  were  followed  by  Eev.  John  Sargent,  the 


68  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

son  of  their  first  missionary.  Mr.  Sargent  be- 
came their  pastor. 

The  Presbyterian  Church  has  always  been  in- 
terested in  the  conversion  of  the  American 
Indians.  Tiie  history  of  Presbyterian  missions 
among  the  Indians  "  is  a  long  and  inspiring 
story  from  early  colonial  efforts  beginning  with 
the  Long  Island  Indians  to  this  opening  of  the 
twentieth  century,  when  at  least  thirty-five  tribes 
have  been  reached  and  one  hundred  and  twenty 
missions  and  schools  are  in  successful  operation 
in  the  great  West." 

The  first  Presbyterian  missionary  among  the 
American  Indians  was  Kev.  Azariah  Ilorton. 
He  began  his  work  on  Long  Island  in  1741. 
His  salary  was  forty  pounds  sterling  per  annum. 
It  was  paid  by  "  The  Society  in  Scotland  for 
propagating  Christian  knowledge."  This  Society 
was  formed  in  Edinburgh  in  1709.  In  1741,  it 
established  a  Board  of  Correspondents  in  New 
York.  Through  this  Board,  Mr.  Horton,  who 
was  a  member  of  the  Presbytery  of  New  York, 
began  his  labors.  He  "  was  well  received  by 
most  and  cordially  welcomed  by  some  of  the 
Indians."  In  a  short  time  he  baptized  thirty- 
five  adults  and  forty-four  children.  "  Some  of 
them,  however,  gave  way  to  temptation  and 
relapsed  into  their  darling  vice  of  drunken- 
ness." 


THE  INDIANS — MISSIONS  69 

Rev.  David  Brainerd,  the  biography  of  whose 
consecrated  life  was  written  by  Rev.  Jonathan 
Edwards,  was  the  second  Presbyterian  mission- 
ary to  the  Indians.  He  was  licensed  to  preach 
/  by  the  Congregational  Church,  but  on  June  12, 
/'  1744,  w^as  ordained  a  Presbyterian  missionary 
;  by  the  Presbytery  of  New  York.  His  support 
(  was  also  received  from  the  "  Scotch  Society  for 
propagating  Christian  knowledge."  He  labored 
in  Connecticut,  in  Pennsylvania,  and  in  New 
Jersey.  His  greatest  and  most  successful  work 
was  done  among  the  Crossweeks,  a  tribe  near 
the  center  of  New  Jersey.  Dr.  Ashbel  Green 
says  his  "success  here  was  perhaps  without  a 
parallel  in  heathen  missions  since  the  days  of 
the  apostles."  He  labored  single-handed  against 
great  odds,  yet  did  a  great  work.  Of  his  first 
year's  work  Brainerd  himself  says :  "  What  amaz- 
ing things  hath  God  wrought  in  this  space  of 
time  for  this  people !  What  a  surprising  change 
appears  in  their  tempers  and  behavior !  How 
are  morose  and  savage  pagans  in  this  short 
period  transformed  into  agreeable  and  humble 
Christians !  and  drunken  bowlings  turned  into 
devout  and  fervent  praises  to  God  !  "  He  urged 
the  Indians  to  give  up  their  w^andering  life,  to 
dwell  in  a  settled  community  and  to  practice 
agriculture.  He  organized  a  church  of  forty 
members,  with  a  settlement  of  150.     He  estab- 


YO  PRESBYTElilAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

lislied  a  school  with  twenty-five  to  thirty  scholars 
which  increased  to  fifty.  Weakened  by  con- 
sumption he  was  compelled  to  give  up  his  mis- 
sion and  to  remove  to  Elizabethtown.  Gaining 
a  little  in  strength,  he  was  able  to  visit  his 
people  to  bid  them  farewell  February  18,  ISiT. 
He  died  October  9  of  the  same  year  at  the  early 
age  of  thirty  years.  Before  his  death  he  w^as 
visited  by  his  brother,  Kev.  John  Brainerd,  who 
continued  his  brother's  work  among  the  Indians. 
John  Brainerd  was  supported  by  money  raised  in 
America,  being  the  first  Presbyterian  missionary 
who  was  thus  supported. 

The  Synod  of  New  York  was  greatly  encour- 
aged by  the  success  of  the  mission  work  among 
the  American  aborigines,  and  in  1763  "  enjoined 
all  its  members  to  appoint  a  collection  in  their 
several  congregations  once  a  year  to  be  applied  " 
to  this  work.  During  the  next  ten  years  mis- 
sionary tours  were  made  by  ministers  appointed 
for  the  purpose,  even  as  far  west  as  the  Dela- 
wares  in  Ohio,  -which  was  then  the  frontier. 
Kev.  Charles  Beatty  and  Kev.  George  Duffield 
visited  the  Indians  on  the  Muskingum  Kiver,  Ohio, 
in  1766.  Their  report  was  so  favorable  that  two 
missionaries  were  appointed  to  labor  in  this 
region. 

The  Revolutionary  War  interrupted  missionary 
labors  for  almost  twenty-five  years,  and  there 


THE   INDIANS — MISSIONS  71 

are  no  records  of  work  done  until  near  the  close 
of  the  century. 

In  1796,  the  "  New  York  Missionary  Society  " 
was  formed.  It  was  independent  of  presbyterial 
supervision,  yet  composed  largely  of  Presby- 
terians. Funds  were  collected  and  missions 
established  among  the  Chickasaws,  the  Tusca- 
roras,  and  the  Senecas. 

In  1797  the  "Northern  Missionary  Society," 
another  independent  organization,  composed  in 
part  of  Presbyterians,  was  instituted,  and  carried 
on  mission  work  among  the  Indians  for  several 
years. 

The  Synod  of  Virginia  in  1801  and  1802  sent 
three  missionaries  to  spend  two  or  three  months 
each  among  the  "  Shawanese  and  other  tribes 
about  Detroit  and  Sandusky,"  and  also  "  a  young 
man  of  Christian  character  to  instruct  them  in 
agriculture  and  to  make  some  instruments  of 
husbandry  for  them." 

The  Synod  of  Pittsburgh  afterwards  accepted 
the  control  of  this  mission. 

The  Synod  of  the  Carolinas  in  1803  established 
a  school  among  the  Catawbas. 

The  General  Assembly  of  our  Church  took  up 
the  cause  of  foreign  missions  vigorously  and 
systematically  in  1800.  A  "  Standing  Committee 
on  Missions  "  was  appointed,  and  missions  were 
gradually    established    among    the    Cherokees, 


72  PRESBYTEKIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

Wyandots,  the  Six  Nations,  and  among  the  In- 
dians at  Lewiston,  Ohio. 

"  In  1802  the  General  Assembly's  Standing 
Committee  addressed  a  circular  to  all  the  pres- 
byteries under  its  care,  urging  collections  for  the 
cause  of  missions,  and  making  inquiries  for  suit- 
able men."  Rev.  Gideon  Blackburn  responded 
to  the  call  for  men.  He  established  a  mission 
among  the  Cherokees,  then  in  Georgia,  which  he 
prosecuted  with  zeal  and  success  for  eight  years, 
when  his  health  failed.  "  He  founded  a  school 
in  1806.  In  five  years,  in  his  schools,  four  or 
five  hundred  youths  were  taught  to  read  the 
English  Bible  and  several  persons  were  received 
as  hopeful  Christians."  The  Assembly  not  being 
able  to  replace  Mr.  Blackburn,  his  field  of  labor 
was  occupied  by  the  "  American  Board  of  Com- 
missioners for  Foreign  Missions,"  soon  after  his 
retirement  in  1810. 

"From  1805  to  1818  the  General  Assembly 
carried  on  work  among  the  Indians  in  various 
directions,  and  with  some  degree  of  success." 

In  1818  "  The  United  Foreign  Missionary  So- 
ciety "  was  formed.  It  was  a  union  of  the  Pres- 
byterian, Dutch  Reformed  and  Associate  Re- 
formed Churches,  "to  spread  the  gospel  among 
the  Indians  of  North  America,  the  inhabitants  of 
Mexico  and  South  America,  and  other  portions 
of  the  heathen  and  antichristian  world."     Pres- 


THE   INDIANS— MISSIONS  73 

ident  Monroe  and  his  Indian  Commissioner, 
Colonel  McKenney,  were  much  interested  in  the 
work  of  this  society.  Colonel  McKenney  "  could 
scarcely  have  embarked  in  its  favor  with  more 
zeal  and  activity,  if  the  whole  concern  had  been 
his  own." 

In  1826  this  society,  when  it  had  nine  missions 
and  sixty  missionaries  under  its  care,  was  merged 
with  the  "  American  Board  of  Commissioners  for 
Foreign  Missions."  All  the  work  of  the  United 
Society  passed  under  the  control  of  the  American 
Board,  and  the  society  ceased  to  exist.  This  ar- 
rangement lasted  for  five  years,  during  which 
time  a  large  portion  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
carried  on  its  Indian  mission  work  through  the 
American  Board. 

In  1831  the  Synod  of  Pittsburgh  organized 
"  The  Western  Missionary  Society,"  in  response 
to  the  desire  of  many  Presbyterians  to  prosecute 
their  mission  work  through  denominational  chan- 
nels. This  society  was  "  intended,  not  for  that 
synod  alone,  but  for  all  others  which  might  wish 
to  unite  with  it."  Its  purpose  was  "conveying 
the  gospel  to  whatever  parts  of  the  heathen 
and  antichristian  world  the  providence  of  God 
might  enable  it  to  extend  its  evangelical  exer- 
tions." The  first  secretary  was  Kev.  Elisha  P. 
Swift,  D.  D.  The  first  large  gift  Avas  one  of  a 
thousand  dollars,  and  was  given  by  Hon.  "Walter 


Y4  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

Lowrie,  Secretary  of  the  United  States  Senate. 
"  This  society  was  the  precursor  of  the  Presby- 
terian Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  and  during  its 
brief  existence  of  six  years,  Rev.  Joseph  Kerr 
and  Avife,  with  others,  established  a  mission 
among  the  Weas  in  the  Indian  Territorj'",  twenty 
miles  west  of  the  Missouri  line  on  the  Kansas 
River."  The  Weas  being  a  small  tribe,  these 
laborers  were  later  on  transferred  to  the  Iowa 
tribe. 

In  1837,  at  the  meeting  of  the  General  As- 
sembly at  Baltimore,  the  present  "  Presbyterian 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions  "  was  organized.  The 
work  of  the  "  Western  Missionary  Society  "  was 
transferred  to  this  Board,  which  had  Presby- 
terian Indian  missions  under  its  care  until  at 
various  times  the  missions  among  the  Indians 
were  transferred  to  the  "  Presbyterian  Board  of 
Home  Missions." 

In  1S38  the  Presbyterian  Church  was  divided 
into  the  Old  and  New  Schools,  the  division  lasting 
until  1870.  During  these  years  the  New  School 
Assembly  carried  on  its  Indian  mission  work  by 
a  committee  through  the  American  Board,  while 
the  Old  School  Assembly's  work  among  the  In- 
dians was  under  the  care  of  the  Foreign  Board. 

The  missionary  work  of  the  Foreign  Board 
among  the  Indians  was  extensive  and  successful. 

East  of  the  Mississippi  River  the  Board  estab- 


THE  INDIANS — MISSIONS  75 

lisbed  missions  among  tlie  Cbippewas  and  Otta- 
was  of  Michigan,  the  "  Six  Nations  "  of  New 
York,  and  the  Lake  Superior  Chippevvas  in 
northern  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota.  The  mis- 
sion among  the  remnants  of  the  Chippewas  and 
Ottawas  was  inaugm-ated  in  1838.  Rev.  Peter 
Dougherty  was  the  first  missionary.  He  was 
cordially  received,  the  work  prospered,  and  a 
church  was  organized  in  1843.  The  mission 
among  the  "Six  Nations"  was  established  in 
1811  and  continues  unto  this  day.  "Rev.  Asher 
Wright  labored  among  the  Senecas  for  forty- 
three  years.  He  is  said  to  have  been  the  only 
white  man  who  ever  acquired  a  satisfactory 
knowledge  of  the  Seneca  language.  He  con- 
structed for  them  a  written  language  and  trans- 
lated the  four  Gospels.  He  died  April  13, 1875,  in 
his  seventy-second  year."  His  widow  carried  on 
his  work  until  her  death  in  1886.  Rev.  William 
Hall,  beginning  in  1834,  labored  earnestly  for  the 
Indians  of  the  Allegheny  reservation  for  nearly 
sixty  years.  In  1893  the  Seneca  Mission  was 
transferred  to  the  "  Board  of  Home  Missions." 
In  1852  the  Lake  Superior  Chippewa  Mission  was 
centralized  at  Odanah  on  the  Red  River  reserve. 
A  church  was  gathered  and  a  boarding  school 
established.  In  1873  Rev.  Isaac  Baird  and  wife 
joined  this  mission.  An  out-station  was  organized 
at  Ashland  in  1878.     In  1884  a  school  was  opened 


70  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

at  Round  Lake  on  the  same  reservation  and 
placed  in  charge  of  Miss  Susie  Dougherty  and 
her  sister  Miss  Cornelia  Dougherty.  In  1890  the 
Chippewa  Missions  were  transferred  to  the  Home 
Mission  Board, 

In  the  Northwest  of  our  country  the  Foreign 
Board  established  missions  among  the  lowas  and 
Sacs  of  Indian  Territory,  the  Omahas  and  Otoes 
of  Indian  Territory,  the  Kickapoos  of  Kansas, 
the  Winnebagos  of  Indian  Territory,  the  Dako- 
tas,  who  lived  in  Dakota,  Wyoming,  Nebraska, 
and  Montana,  and  the  Nez  Perces  of  Idaho.  The 
Iowa  and  Sac  Missions  were  commenced  in  1835. 
They  occupy  228,418  acres  in  Indian  Territory. 
The  first  missionaries  were  Messrs.  Aurey  Ballard 
and  E.  M.  Shepherd  and  their  wives.  Schools 
were  established  and  personal  work  done.  In 
1837,  Rev.  Messrs.  William  Hamilton  and  S.  M. 
Irwin  and  their  wives  were  sent  to  this  field.  In 
1843  a  printing  press  was  purchased  and  parts 
of  the  Bible  and  other  religious  books  were  pub- 
lished in  the  Iowa  language.  In  1859  a  church 
with  fifty-nine  members  was  organized.  In  1889 
this  mission  passed  under  the  care  of  the  Home 
Board. 

The  Sac  and  Fox  Mission  was  begun  in  Tama 
City  in  1883.  This  little  band  of  Indians  num- 
bered 393,  on  a  reservation  of  1,258  acres.  Miss 
Anna  Shea  took  charge  of  the  work.     She  opened 


THE  INDIANS — MISSIONS  77 

a  school,  and  with  an  assistant  accomplished  good 
work.  Of  her  work  she  said,  "  I  cannot  tell  how 
my  heart  yearns  over  these  Indians  as  I  move 
among  them  day  by  day,  and  I  long  to  be  used 
in  a  way  to  hasten  their  enlightenment."  This 
mission  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Home  Board 
in  1890. 

The  Omahas  and  Otoes  occupied  the  country 
in  Indian  Territory,  north  of  the  lowas.  Mis- 
sion work  was  commenced  among  them  in  1846. 
The  first  workers  were  Eev.  Edmund  McKenney 
and  wife,  and  Mr.  Paul  Bloohm.  In  1855,  the 
Omahas  moved  to  a  reservation  of  their  own, 
and  work  was  continued  among  them  by  Rev. 
William  Hamilton  and  later  by  Rev.  Charles 
Sturges,  M.  D.  and  wife.  In  1858  Rev.  William 
Guthrie  was  appointed  to  the  Otoe  Mission. 

Among  the  Kickapoos  of  northeastern  Kansas, 
mission  work  was  begun  in  1856  by  Rev.  W.  H. 
Honnell.  It  Avas  discontinued  in  1860  because 
of  insurmountable  difficulties  which  were  in  the 
way. 

The  Winnebago  Mission  was  begun  in  1868. 
Rev.  Joseph  M.  Wilson  commenced  the  work. 
The  mission  was  transferred  to  the  Home  Board 
in  1890. 

The  Dakota  Mission  was  commenced  in  1835, 
by  Rev.  Thos.  S.  Williamson  and  wife,  Rev.  J. 
D.  Stevens  and  wife  and  two  unmarried  women 


78  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME  MISSIONS 

under  the  Aiiierican  Board.  The  Dakotas  or 
Sioux  was  one  of  the  largest  and  most  warlike 
of  all  the  Indian  tribes.  They  numbered  then 
50,000  and  were  scattered  over  a  vast  extent  of 
territory.  In  1850  there  were  three  organized 
churches  among  them.  In  1853  the  Dakotas 
moved  to  their  reservation  and  new  stations  were 
established.  The  work  among  them  gradually 
grew  until  1862  when  occurred  the  horrible  mas- 
sacre of  white  settlers  in  an  attempt  to  over- 
throw Christianity.  The  insurrection  was  speed- 
ily put  down.  Two  thousand  Dakotas  were  taken 
prisoners.  Thirty-eight  were  executed.  In  1871 
a  portion  of  this  mission  was  transferred  to  the 
Home  Board. 

Mission  work  among  the  Dakotas  of  Montana 
was  begun  at  Poplar  Creek  in  1880.  The  first 
missionary  was  Kev.  G.  W.  Wood.  In  1892  the 
Dakota  churches  were  transferred  to  the  Home 
Board. 

The  Nez  Perce  Mission  is  of  special  interest, 
because  associated  with  it  is  the  most  dramatic 
incident  in  connection  with  Indian  mission  work 
— the  saving  of  the  Northwest  to  the  United 
States  by  Dr.  Marcus  "Whitman.  This  tribe  and 
that  of  the  Flatheads  occupied  territory  in  Idaho 
and  in  Oregon.  From  trappers  they  had  heard 
of  the  existence  of  a  Supreme  Being  and  of  a 
Book  from  heaven  (the  Bible).     They  earnestly 


THE  INDIANS — MISSIONS  Y9 

desired  this  book  and  sent  four  messengers  to 
seek  it.  The  messengers,  after  overcoming  many 
difficulties,  reached  St.  Louis.  Here  they  met 
General  Clark,  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs 
for  the  Northwest.  They  were  kindly  treated, 
but  were  broken-hearted  that  they  could  not  se- 
cure missionaries  and  "  the  Book  from  heaven." 
Two  of  them  died  at  St.  Louis  and  one  on  the 
way  home,  the  fourth  one  only  ever  reaching 
home.  Before  leaving  St.  Louis  they  called  on 
General  Clark,  and  in  an  address  explained  that 
they  had  come  "over  a  trail  of  many  moons 
from  the  setting  sun,"  "  sent  to  get  the  white  man's 
Book  of  heaven."  The  speaker  complained  bit- 
terly that  they  must  return  home  with  their  mis- 
sion unaccomplished,  closing  his  address  with 
these  pathetic  words  : — "  My  people  will  die  in 
darkness,  and  will  go  on  the  long  path  to  the 
other  hunting  grounds.  No  white  man  will  go 
with  them  and  no  white  man's  book  to  make  the 
way  plain.  I  have  no  more  words."  This  sad 
complaint  was  heard  at  Pittsburgh  and  the  an- 
swer to  it  was  Dr.  Marcus  Whitman,  who  was 
sent  out  by  the  American  Board  to  explore  the 
country  in  1835.  In  1836  he  established  a  mission 
in  Oregon.  In  1843,  Dr.  "Whitman,  to  save  the 
Northwest  Territory  to  the  United  States,  when 
the  British  were  endeavoring  to  obtain  possession 
of   it,  made   a  hasty  trip  to  Washington.     lie 


80  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

communicated  to  the  authorities  both  the  value 
of  the  Northwest  and  the  danger  of  its  being 
lost.  With  great  difficulty  he  impressed  his 
views  upon  the  Governmental  officers,  and  then 
to  him  was  intrusted  the  responsibility  of  saving 
the  territory  by  making  an  actual  settlement 
upon  it.  This  he  did  by  a  thrilling  homeward 
journey,  taking  with  him  over  the  mountains  in 
the  face  of  the  gravest  dangers  and  almost  in- 
surmountable difficulties  a  thousand  settlers. 
These  settlers  made  a  permanent  settlement  and 
planted  the  American  flag  in  the  Northwest  to 
stay ;  and  thus  Oregon  was  saved  to  the  Union 
by  the  desire  of  the  Indians  for  Christian  knowl- 
edge and  the  heroic  efforts  and  sacrifices  of  a 
Christian  missionary.  And  that  missionary  be- 
came a  Christian  martyr !  In  1847,  "  the  Indians 
through  the  instigation  of  Eomish  priests,  fell 
upon  the  station,  killed  Dr.  Whitman  and  others, 
and  broke  up  the  station."  In  1871  the  Presby- 
terian Board  sent  Eev.  H.  H.  Spaulding  and 
wife,  Avho  had  labored  with  Dr.  Whitman,  to  the 
field,  and  with  them  Rev.  T.  H.  Cowley  and  wife. 
They  were  gladly  received  and  in  the  first  year 
184  converts  were  reported.  This  field  was  also 
the  scene  of  the  successful  labors  of  the  Misses 
McBeth,  who  for  several  years  were  the  only 
white  missionaries  on  the  reservation.  "  Miss 
Kate  McBeth  devoted  herself  to  the  women  and 


THE  INDIANS — MISSIONS  81 

children,  striving  to  develop  among  them  a  true 
ideal  of  family  life.  Miss  Sue  McBeth,  a  woman 
of  remarkable  energy  and  talent,  found  her  spe- 
cial work  in  educating  young  men  for  the  minis- 
try. Most  of  the  Indian  pastors  in  the  mission 
were  educated  under  her  supervision."  In  1893 
this  field  was  transferred  to  the  Home  Board. 
"  The  Nez  Perces  in  Idaho  are  now  a  settled  peo- 
ple, many  of  them  prizing  the  fruits  of  industry 
and  the  blessings  of  Christianity."  The  martyred 
Whitman  and  his  associates  did  not  live  and  die 
in  vain.  In  them  "  the  blood  of  martyrs  "  again 
became  "  the  seed  of  the  Church."  In  God's 
providence,  it  is  always  so. 

In  the  Southwest  the  Foreign  Board  estab- 
lished missions  among  the  Creeks,  Seminoles, 
Choctaws,  and  the  Chickasaws,  of  Indian  Terri- 
tory, and  the  Navajoes  and  Pueblos  of  New 
Mexico. 

The  Creeks  in  1837  were  removed  forcibly 
from  Georgia  and  Alabama  to  Indian  Territory. 
They  numbered  about  20,000.  From  1832  to 
1837  the  American  Board  had  missionaries 
among  them.  In  that  year  the  missionaries, 
upon  false  charges  of  the  disappointed  Indians, 
were  expelled  without  a  hearing  by  the  United 
States  Government.  For  several  years  the  peo- 
ple were  without  religious  instruction.  In  1841 
the  Presbyterian  Board  sent  Rev.  R.  M.  Lough- 


82  PRESBYTERIAT^-  HOME  MISSIONS 

ridge  among  them  with  letters  to  the  chiefs  from 
the  War  Department.  In  18-i2  he  received  per- 
mission to  open  a  mission  and  a  school.  Schools 
were  established  in  due  time  at  Koweta  and  Tul- 
lahassee.  In  1861  missionary  operations  were  in- 
terrupted by  the  Civil  War.  In  1866  Rev.  W.  S. 
Robinson  and  wife  returned  to  the  field.  Mr. 
Robinson  labored  faithfully  until  his  death  in 
1881.  "  His  whole  heart  seemed  devoted  to  the 
education  of  the  Indian  youth  and  he  did  a  good 
work  which  shows  itself  everywhere  throughout 
the  Creek  nation."  Mrs.  Robinson  remained  at 
the  work  and  completed  the  translation  of  the 
New  Testament.  In  1887  the  mission  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  Home  Board.  "The  Creeks  are 
now  counted  among  the  civilized  tribes.  They 
dress  and  live  like  white  people.  They  are  mak- 
ing progress  in  temperance,  in  industry,  in  good 
morals,  and  in  religion." 

The  Seminole  Indians  were  removed  from 
Florida  to  Indian  Territory  by  the  Government 
in  1832.  "  Being  of  the  same  language  and  line- 
age of  the  Creeks,  they  were  settled  within  the 
Creek  reservation."  The  Presbyterian  Board 
sent  Mr.  Loughridge  of  the  Creek  Mission  on  a 
visit  to  them  in  1845.  "  Though  welcomed  by 
some  he  was  opposed  by  others  who  did  not  want 
the  ways  of  white  men,  such  as  '  schools,  preach- 
ing, fiddle-dancing,  card-playing,  and  the  like' 


THE  INDIANS — MISSIONS  83 

brought  among  them."  In  1848  Rev.  John  Lilley 
AA'as  sent  among  them  and  a  mission  established 
at  Oak  Ridge.  The  work  was  interrupted  by 
the  Civil  War,  but  has  since  been  continued  with 
success.  This  mission  was  transferred  to  the 
Home  Board  in  1889. 

The  Choctaw  Mission  grew  out  of  an  offer  of 
the  tribe  in  1845  to  transfer  Spencer  Academy  to 
the  care  and  direction  of  the  Board.  The  acad- 
emy was  located  at  Fort  Towson,  had  an  en- 
dowment of  $8,000  and  could  accommodate  100 
pupils.  The  offer  was  accepted  and  Rev.  James 
B.  Ramsey,  as  superintendent,  with  seven  assist- 
ants, began  work.  Results  were  most  satisfac- 
tory. In  1847  a  church  was  organized.  Mission 
work  among'  this  tribe  has  been  greatly  blessed. 
The  work  was  transferred  to  the  Home  Board  in 
1887. 

The  Chickasaws  number  about  6,000,  and  oc- 
cupy the  territory  west  of  the  Choctaws.  Until 
1861  the  Board  had  mission  schools  among  them. 
At  that  time  they  were  taken  under  the  care  of 
the  Southern  Presbyterian  Church. 

In  New  Mexico  there  are  about  30,000  Indians. 
Presbyterian  missions  have  been  established 
among  two  tribes — the  Kavajoes  and  the  Pueblo 
or  Tillage  Indians.  "  Both  these  tribes  are  de- 
scribed as  partially  civilized,  jtemperate,  truthful, 
friendly  and  willing  to  have  schools  opened  for 


84  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

their  children."     In  1877  the  Home  Board  took 
charge  of  this  JBeld. 

The  Board  of  Home  Missions  now  has  the  care 
and  direction  of  all  our  mission  work  among  the 
Indians.  Under  the  Home  Board  the  work  has 
been  vigorously  prosecuted  and  has  made  great 
progress.  The  Home  Board's  work  among  the 
Indians  is  to-day  of  even  greater  importance  than 
ever  before  in  the  light  of  the  recent  change  of 
policy  of  the  Government  toward  the  Indian. 
The  American  Indian  is  now  as  rapidly  as  pos- 
sible to  be  placed  absolutely  upon  his  own  re- 
sponsibility. No  longer  housed  and  fed  by  the 
Government,  his  ability  to  meet  the  problems  of 
life  will  be  tested  as  never  before,  since  he  has 
lived  amidst  his  present  environments.  The  im- 
portance of  religion  and  of  the  Church  at  this 
crisis  in  his  life,  is  readily  understood  and  ap- 
preciated. The  Church  should  redouble  its 
energies  to  do  its  part  in  making  him  morally 
and  spiritually  capable  of  meeting  these  new  con- 
ditions. That  the  Presbyterian  Church  will  do 
its  part  in  this  critical  moment  is  not  to  be 
doubted.  Its  past  and  present  attitude  toward 
Indian  missions  assures  its  loyalty  at  this  time. 
The  Presbyterian  Church  to-day  has  Indian  mis- 
sions in  eleven  states  and  three  territories  and 
among  twenty  Indian  tribes.  The  statistical 
record,  which  best  tells  the  story,  is  as  follows : — 


THE   INDIANS — MISSIONS 


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86  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME  MISSIONS 

A  hero  of  Presbyterian  mission  work  since  it 
came  under  the  Home  Board  is  Rev.  Charles  H. 
Cook,  of  Sacaton,  Arizona,  or  "  Father  "  Cook 
as  he  is  familiarly  called,  missionary  to  the 
Pimas.  In  1870  he  left  mission  work  in  Chicago 
and  consecrated  his  life  to  the  bringing  of  the 
Arizona  Indians  to  Christ.  He  went  at  first  in 
the  employ  of  a  merchant,  and  spent  his  odd 
hours  and  Sabbaths  in  missionary  work.  Later 
he  became  a  government  teacher  of  the  In- 
dians and  then  after  years  of  working  with  his 
own  hands  that  he  might  preach  the  gospel, 
he  became  a  missionary  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  and  so  continues.  His  success  has  been 
marvelous.  "  Fourteen  hundred  Indians  baptized 
is  a  fine  record.  Old  men  and  young,  mothers 
and  grandmothers,  warriors  and  medicine  men, 
with  children  claimed  in  covenant,  are  written 
by  name  in  his  book  of  baptism."  Five  church 
buildings  have  been  erected  under  his  care  and 
through  him  thousands  have  heard  the  gospel, 
and  hundreds  been  developed  in  Christian  life 
and  service.  To  the  question  of  a  Moderator  of 
the  General  Assembly,  "Do  all  your  Indians 
have  family  worship?"  he  replied,  "I  do  not 
know  as  to  that ;  but  I  do  know  that  none  of  my 
Indian  men  will  refuse  to  lead  in  public  prayer 
in  the  prayer  meeting  !  "  What  a  record  for  one 
man.     "  Father "  Cook  is  a  great  man,  a  patri- 


THE   INDIANS — MISSIONS  87 

arch  among  thousands  of  people,  welcome  in 
many  villages. 

The  most  important  advanced  step  in  the  his- 
tory of  missions  among  the  Indians,  since  trans- 
ferred to  the  Home  Board  was  the  organization 
of  "the  Woman's  Board  of  Home  Missions." 
This  Board  was  organized  in  1878.  To  it  was 
assigned  the  school  work  among  our  exceptional 
populations,  and  among  them  the  Indians.  The 
needs  of  the  children  have  appealed  with  peculiar 
force  to  the  noble-hearted  women  of  our  Church, 
and  with  remarkable  eflBciency  and  success,  they 
have  carried  forward  this  phase  of  Presbyterian 
home  missions.  The  success  of  the  school  work 
among  the  Indians  has  proven  its  necessity  and 
importance.  "  These  schools  have  been  the 
means  of  elevating  entire  tribes  to  a  point  where 
the  Government  has  been  justified  in  allotting  to 
them  their  lands  in  severalty,  and  conferring 
citizenship  upon  them.  On  many  reservations 
have  grown  up  churches,  composed  almost  without 
exception  of  communicants  who  have  received 
their  education  and  training  in  these  Christian 
schools."  The  school  work  is  a  tremendously 
important  factor  in  the  Christian ization  of  the 
American  Indian  and  is  worthy  the  consecrated 
efforts  of  the  Christian  women  of  our  Church. 

The  Indian  schools  under  the  Woman's  Board 
have    interesting    histories,    and    are    doing    a 


88  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

splendid  and  successful  ■work  to-day  that  should 
encourage  all  who  are  interested  in  their  support. 
In  the  day  and  boarding  schools  the  Bible  is 
taught  along  with  the  rudiments  of  a  common 
education.  In  the  training  and  industrial  schools, 
the  arts  of  industry  are  added  to  the  other 
branches,  the  industries  selected  being  governed 
by  the  locality.  The  boys  are  usually  taught 
farming,  stock-raising,  and  the  rudiments  of  the 
simpler  trades,  and  the  girls  such  household  in- 
dustries as  cooking,  sewing,  knitting,  and  laun- 
dry work.  The  object  of  the  industrial  schools 
is  to  educate  the  head,  the  heart,  and  the  hand. 
This  is  always  essential,  but  especially  so  when 
it  comes  to  the  American  Indian. 

The  Mary  Gregory  Memorial  School  is 
located  near  Anadarko,  Indian  Territory.  It 
was  organized  in  1891,  and  is  both  a  boarding 
and  an  industrial  school.  The  farm  products  of 
the  school  in  1900  amounted  to  $3,000  in  value. 
It  has  eight  teachers  and  seventy-five  scholars. 
Its  annual  expenses  are  about  $6,000. 

DwiGHT,  located  near  Marble,  Indian  Territory, 
is  one  of  our  oldest  schools,  and  is  familiarly 
called  "Old  Dwight."  It  is  a  day  and  boarding 
school  and  was  organized  in  1820.  It  was  closed 
during  the  Civil  War  and  was  reopened  in  1886, 
"  Shepherd  Home,"  a  self-supporting  boarding 
department  for  boys  has  been  opened  at  Dwight. 


THE  INDIANS — MISSIONS  89 

It  has  proved  a  success.  The  day  school  is 
crowded  and  God  is  richly  blessing  the  work  of 
those  in  charge.  There  are  in  the  school  three 
teachers  and  100  scholars.  The  annual  expenses 
are  over  $2,000.  Nearly  $100  is  received  in 
tuition. 

Elm  Speing  is  located  near  Welling,  Indian 
Territory.  It  is  a  day  and  boarding  school,  and 
was  opened  in  1888.  Teachers,  3  ;  boarding  pu- 
pils, 25 ;  day,  65 ;  total,  90.  Expenses,  $1,000. 
Receipts  from  tuition  about  $75  annually. 

Henry  Kendall  College,  Muskogee,  Indian 
Territory,  was  opened  in  1882.  It  was  named 
in  honor  of  Dr.  Henry  Kendall,  "the  hero  of 
home  missions "  who  was  for  thirty  years  secre- 
tary of  the  Board  of  Home  Missions.  It  was 
raised  to  the  standard  of  a  college  in  1894,  and 
has  won  for  itself  a  high  position  among  the  five 
civilized  tribes  of  the  Territory  as  well  as  with 
the  white  people  whose  children  enjoy  its  advan- 
tages. The  graduating  class  of  1900  consisted  of 
six  young  women  and  one  young  man,  "The 
graduates  are  Christians  and  well  equipped  to  take 
their  part  in  the  evangelization  of  our  land. 
This  college  will  undoubtedly  become  the  lead- 
ing educational  institution  of  the  Territory." 
Teachers,  17  ;  boarding  scholars,  110  ;  day  pupils, 
91 ;  total,  201.  Annual  expenses,  $16,000.  Re- 
ceipts from  tuition  about  $3,500. 


90  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

NuYAKA,  near  Okmulgee,  Indian  Territory, 
was  organized  in  1883.  It  is  a  boarding  and  in- 
dustrial school.  It  "  is  the  only  mission  training 
school  among  the  full-blooded  Creeks,  and  has 
told  wonderfully  on  the  manners  and  morals  of 
the  people.  Spiritual  results  are  also  constantly 
appearing."  The  school  farm,  consists  of  320 
acres.  Under  the  direction  of  a  competent 
farmer  the  boys  of  the  school  are  taught  farming. 
Grains,  grasses,  and  meats,  valued  at  $2,500,  have 
been  produced  in  one  year.  Domestic  arts  of 
equal  value  are  taught  to  the  girls  of  the  school. 
Teachers,  1 ;  pupils,  102 ;  expenses,  $10,000  ;  re- 
ceipts from  tuition  about  $7,000. 

Park  Hill,  Indian  Territory,  is  an  old  land- 
mark. It  was  first  organized  in  1830  ;  was  dis- 
continued, and  was  reopened  in  1886.  It  has 
one  teacher  and  thirty-six  scholars,  with  an 
annual  expense  of  $650. 

Tahlequah  Institute,  Tahlequah,  Indian 
Territory,  was  opened  in  1883.  It  is  a  day  and 
boarding  school.  Its  field  of  labor  is  the  Chero- 
kee nation  and  it  is  highly  appreciated.  It  is 
said  to  be  the  Cherokee's  best  educational  institu- 
tion. Its  graduates  occupy  prominent  places  in 
the  Capital  City,  and  also  in  the  surrounding 
country,  some  of  them  being  teachers.  "No 
work  done  among  the  Indians  is  more  satisfactory 
and  profitable  from  a  spiritual  standpoint  than 


THE  INDIANS — MISSIONS  91 

that  done  at  Tahlequab."  Teachers,  T;  board- 
ing scholars,  34 ;  day,  180 ;  total,  214.  Total  ex- 
penses, $6,000.     Receipts  from  tuition,  $2,000. 

Phoenix,  Arizona,  is  a  mission  among  the 
Papagoes.  It  has  one  teacher,  an  ordained  mis- 
sionary, whose  salary  is  $350. 

Sacaton,  Arizona,  is  a  mission  to  the  Pima 
Indians.  The  teaching  corps  consists  of  one  or- 
dained missionary  and  three  native  evangelists, 
of  whose  labors.  Rev.  Charles  H.  Cook,  our  mis- 
sionary to  the  Pimas,  speaks  in  the  highest 
terms. 

Tucson,  Arizona,  is  an  industrial  school  for 
boys  and  girls.  It  was  opened  in  1880.  This 
school  reaches  several  tribes,  but  its  work  is 
largely  among  the  Pimas  and  Papagoes.  The 
pupils  are  taught  first  of  all  the  importance  of 
becoming  Christians.  The  Bible  is  the  main 
text-book.  Industrial  arts  are  also  taught.  The 
boys  add  to  the  income  of  the  school  by  excavat- 
ing cellars  in  the  town,  and  bailing  hay  and 
other  work  in  the  country.  More  buildings  are 
greatly  needed  to  facilitate  the  work  at  Tucson. 
One  of  the  interesting  features  of  the  work  here 
is  the  employment  of  a  native  Papago  woman, 
educated  in  the  school,  as  a  visitor  and  missionary 
among  her  own  people.  Her  work  is  both  ac- 
ceptable and  successful. 

Fall  Rivee  Mills  and  Hupa  schools,  both 


92  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

in  California,  were  received  in  1900  from  the 
Woman's  National  Indian  Association.  In  each 
field  there  is  but  a  single  missionary,  a  woman. 
The  work  is  successful  and  promising.  Fall 
Eiver  Mills  is  both  a  mission  and  a  school. 

CoRTEZ,  Colorado,  is  a  school  among  the  Ute 
Indians  of  southern  Colorado.  It  was  opened 
in  1898.  It  is  accomplishing  great  good.  Teach- 
ers, one ;  pupils,  forty. 

Fort  Hall  Keservation,  near  Blackfoot, 
Idaho,  is  a  mission  school  among  the  Shoshone 
and  Bannock  tribes.  It  was  organized  in  1889 
by  the  "Woman's  National  Indian  Rights  Asso- 
ciation, and  by  them  transferred  to  our  Woman's 
Board  in  1901.  The  progress  since  has  been 
gratifying.  A  church  organized  in  1899  with 
eighteen  members  has  grown  to  a  membership 
of  over  100.  A  house  of  worship  has  been 
erected,  with  teachers'  rooms  adjoining.  There 
are  two  missionaries  employed  here  whose  com- 
bined salaries  is  less  than  $700  ! 

Lapwai,  Idaho,  is  at  present  a  training  class 
for  Nez  Perce  Indians.  It  was  organized  in 
1836,  In  recent  years,  there  have  gone  out  from 
this  school  more  than  half  a  score  of  ministers 
who  are  pastors  of  churches  among  their  own 
people,  and  missionaries  to  the  Umatillas,  Crows, 
and  other  kindred  tribes.  Teachers,  2 ;  pupils, 
15  ;  salaries  and  school  expenses,  $900. 


THE  INDIANS— MISSIONS  93 

"Wolf  Point,  Montana,  is  a  boarding  and  an 
industrial  school.  It  was  organized  as  a  mission 
in  1894,  and  was  changed  into  a  school  in  1898. 
Its  work  is  among  the  Assiniboin  Indians. 
The  experiment  of  a  boarding  department  was 
tried  in  1900,  and  has  been  a  great  success.  The 
school  has  been  crowded  Avith  boys  and  girls, 
whose  parents  provide  for  their  support,  thus 
making  the  boarding  department  self-supporting. 
Teachers,  3  ;  boarding  pupils,  26  ;  day,  38 ;  total, 
6-1.     Annual  expenses,  $2,500. 

Laguna,  Cubero,  New  Mexico,  is  our  only 
Indian  school  in  New  Mexico.  The  work  has 
been  carried  on  by  a  missionary  and  a  teacher, 
but  a  minister  is  to  be  placed  in  charge  to  do  the 
entire  work.  It  is  a  day  school,  with  an  enroll- 
ment of  fifty-six  pupils. 

Good  Will,  South  Dakota,  is  a  training  and 
industrial  school  for  boys  and  girls.  It  was 
opened  as  a  day  school  in  1871  by  Dr.  Stephen 
R.  Riggs,  but  since  1882  has  been  an  industrial 
school.  Good  Will  is  one  of  our  largest  and  best 
equipped  schools.  The  industrial  departments 
were  enlarged  in  1900.  The  little  girls  have 
been  given  a  "  home  "  by  themselves,  which  is  in 
charge  of  an  elRcient  matron.  The  cottage  sys- 
tem is  fully  realized  in  this  school  alone.  By 
this  system  the  pupils  dwell  in  small  "  homes  " 
instead  of  being  housed   together  in  one  large 


94  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

building.  The  boys  and  girls  are  thoroughly 
trained  in  the  Scriptures  and  are  given  an  indus- 
trial training  that  will  enable  them  to  make  a 
livelihood  in  the  future.  The  boys  look  after 
the  farm,  take  care  of  the  stock,  prepare  the  fuel, 
and  do  ordinary  work  in  the  shops.  The  girls 
care  for  the  "  homes,"  do  the  cooking,  repair 
their  own  clothes,  and  such  other  \vork  as  is 
necessary  in  a  school  of  this  kind.  The  farm 
yields  all  the  meat,  vegetables,  flour,  etc.,  used  by 
the  school.  The  spiritual  fruits  of  the  school  are 
also  manifest.  The  eight  churches  surrounding 
Good  Will  are  filled  with  men  and  women  w^ho 
have  been  educated  in  this  school.  These  Indians 
are  among  the  most  progressive  in  our  country 
and  were  among  the  first  to  be  given  citizenship, 
which  is  largely  the  result  of  mission  work. 
Teachers,  13  ;  boarding  pupils,  92 ;  day,  10  ;  total, 
102.     Total  expenses,  $12,000. 

Neah  Bay,  Washington,  is  a  mission  among 
the  Makeh  Indians  of  that  State.  One  mis- 
sionary, a  woman,  at  a  salary  of  $500  does  all 
the  work  of  the  mission.  Slowly,  but  surely,  the 
people  are  responding  to  her  arduous  labors,  and 
"  are  coming  out  of  the  heathenism  and  be- 
ginning to  understand  and  respect  the  Christian 
religion." 

Even  such  a  cursory  glance  at  the  school  work 
of  the  Woman's  Board  among  the  Indians  shows 


THE  INDIANS— MISSIONS  95 

its  greatness  and  importance.  Advance  steps 
are  being  constantly  taken.  The  standard  of 
the  work  done  is  every  year  approaching 
that  in  our  white  schools.  The  newest  feature  is 
the  self-supporting  boarding  departments,  in 
which  parents  pay  the  expenses  of  their  children, 
now  in  operation  at  Elm  Spring,  Tahlequah, 
and  Wolf  Point.  "  These  self-supporting  board- 
ing departments,  in  connection  with  our  training 
schools,  are  alike  a  marvel  to  government  Indian 
School  inspectors  and  friends  of  the  Indian 
work."  Such  a  splendid  work,  producing  such 
tremendous  and  far  reaching  results,  should 
arouse  the  interest  and  cooperation  of  every 
Presbyterian  woman  in  our  land. 

The  future  of  the  American  Indian  lies  in  the 
hands  of  the  American  Government  and  the 
Christian  Church.  The  Government  should  do 
its  part,  a  part  that  demands  statesmanship  of  the 
highest  order.  The  Indian  reservations  with 
their  accompanying  evil  of  the  "  ration  system  " 
should  be  done  away  with  and  the  Indians 
treated  as  individuals  and  not  as  tribes.  Thus 
only  can  a  self-relying,  self-supporting  Indian 
manhood  be  developed — the  supreme  essential 
for  the  civilization  of  the  Indian. 

The  Church,  as  well  as  the  Government,  should 
do  its  part  in  the  elevation  of  the  Indian.  Its 
past  success  should  inspire  renewed  effort.     The 


96  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

Indian  can  be  civilized  and  Christianized.  He 
has  been,  and  what  has  been  can  be.  The  argu- 
ment of  history  conclusively  answers  the  charge 
of  the  uninformed  that  the  Indian  cannot  be 
civilized  and  Christianized.  Entire  tribes  have 
been  lifted  from  degradation,  superstition,  and 
heathenism,  to  manhood,  citizenship,  and  Chris- 
tian faith.  And  the  Indian,  once  converted  and 
civilized,  becomes  interested  in  his  unconverted 
and  uncivilized  brother  and  is  anxious  that  he 
also  should  have  the  advantages  of  Christian- 
ity and  of  civilization.  These  two  facts  prove 
the  practicability  of  Indian  mission  work  and 
should  stimulate  "  Prayer  and  pains,  [which] 

THROUGH    FAITH    IN    JeSUS    ChRIST,   WILL    DO 

ANYTHING  " — even  to  the  making  of  a  live  In- 
dian, a  good  Indian. 


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IV 

THE  ALASKANS 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE   ALASKANS 

Alaska,  in  1867,  had  the  unique  title  of 
"  Seward's  Folly."  But  had  the  critics  of  the 
Secretary  of  State  been  able  to  look  a  genera- 
tion into  the  future,  they  would  more  appro- 
priately have  denominated  it  "  Seward's  Wis- 
dom." Time  has  vindicated  the  judgment  of  the 
great  secretary  and  has  shown  that  his  foresight 
was  far  superior  to  that  of  the  age  in  which  he 
lived. 

"  Alaska  "  is  an  Indian  name,  and  means  "  the 
great  land."  In  natural  endowments  and  re- 
sources at  least,  this  name  is  fully  justified — and 
may  we  not  indulge  the  hope  that  the  day  will 
speedily  come  when  the  same  can  be  said  of  it 
politically,  intellectually,  and  spiritually  ? 

The  area  of  Alaska  is  "  as  large  as  all  the 
United  States  east  of  the  Mississippi,  and  north 
of  Georgia  and  the  Carolinas — in  other  words, 
one-sixth  of  the  whole  area  of  the  United  States, 
over  half  a  million  square  smiles."  Its  coast 
line  is  twenty-five  thousand  miles  in  length  and 
would  exactly  "girdle  the  globe."    The  Yukon 

99 


100  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME  MISSIONS 

River  "  appears  navigable  for  nearly  three  thou- 
sand miles,  is  seventy  miles  wide  at  its  delta  of 
five  mouths,  and  has  tributaries  from  one  to  two 
hundred  miles  long."  It  compares  favorably  in 
size  with  the  Mississippi,  the  Amazon,  and  the 
Nile.  Mount  St.  Elias  is  19,500  feet  high— tlie 
highest  peak  in  America.  Mount  Cook  is  16,000 
feet  above  sea  level.  Into  what  insignificance 
does  Mount  Washington  dwindle  in  comparison, 
with  its  height  of  but  6,234  feet ! 

The  climate  of  Alaska  near  the  seacoast  in 
the  south  and  east  is  rescued  from  severity  and 
desolation  by  an  ocean  current.  "The  mean 
annual  temperature  of  Sitka,  the  capital,  is  the 
same  as  that  of  Georgia  in  winter.  In  summer 
it  is  the  same  as  that  of  Michigan."  In  interior 
Alaska  the  summer  is  short  and  ofttimes  in- 
tensely hot.  The  winters  are  long  and  extremely 
cold.  "  Winter,"  says  Rev.  J.  W.  Kirk,  our  mis- 
sionary at  Eagle  City,  "  begins  the  last  of  Sep- 
tember, closing  with  April.  For  two  seasons  the 
Weather  Bureau  has  recorded  sixty-eight  degrees 
below.  From  November  to  February  the  day  is 
open  at  9.30  and  ends  at  2.30.  From  the  first  of 
May  to  August  there  is  no  darkness.  Warm 
weather  prevails  from  the  middle  of  June  to  the 
middle  of  August.  The  soil  is  cold.  A  tin-lined 
box  with  double  cover,  sunk  two  feet  in  the  ground 
under  a  shed,  makes  an   excellent  refrigerator. 


THE   ALASKANS  101 

Cold  recedes  rapidly  when  the  ground  has  been 
broken.  The  continuous  day  forces  growth. 
Potatoes  planted  do  not  decay,  hence  a  cutting 
is  sufficient ;  we  can  plant  the  eye  and  eat  the 
potato.  Fifty  cents  for  two  potatoes — one  din- 
ner. The  eyes  of  the  same  planted  in  June 
gave  several  dinners.  Peas,  cabbage,  turnips, 
beets,  lettuce,  radishes,  and  onions,  are  also 
raised. 

"  Cabin  life  is  passed  within  four  log  walls  with 
a  low  door  and  one  small  window.  In  a  town 
there  will  be  a  floor.  The  roof  poles  extend  over 
the  front,  making  a  porch.  The  whole  is  covered 
with  moss  and  earth.  The  bed  is  made  of  poles 
covered  with  mountain  feathers  (spruce  branches). 
"Warm  in  winter,  cool  in  summer,  they  are  cheer- 
less, dark  and  dreary  always.  In  the  porch,  out 
of  reach  of  dogs  and  wolves,  is  hung  the  supply 
of  meat.  Men  do  the  cooking,  the  staples  being 
bacon,  beans,  evaporated  potatoes,  flour,  sugar, 
coffee,  tea,  condensed  milk.  I  have  spent  nights 
in  such  cabins  when  there  were  from  seven  to 
nine  men  and  a  dozen  dogs,  the  latter  keeping 
the  door  open  most  of  the  night  in  the  midst  of 
an  Alaskan  winter. 

"  The  prospectors,  miners,  and  hunters,  come  to 
the  towns  where  all  kinds  of  people  are  found, 
from  a  federal  judge  to  a  saloon  stoker,  and  from 
the  manager  of  the  great  company's  store  to  the 


102  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

keeper  of  a  brothel,  and  where  a  detachment  of 
the  military  is  usually  stationed." 

But  while  this  is  true  of  the  interior,  the  south- 
ern coast  has  a  remarkably  salubrious  climate, 
the  records  of  forty-five  years  past  showing  the 
annual  temperature  to  be  that  of  Kentucky.  Of 
this  climate,  Secretary  Seward  said :  "  It  must  be 
a  fastidious  person,  who  complains  of  a  climate, 
in  which,  while  the  eagle  delights  to  soar,  the 
humming  bird  does  not  disdain  to  flutter.  I 
have  been  lost  in  admiration  of  skies  adorned 
with  gold  and  sapphire  as  richly  as  those  reflected 
in  the  Mediterranean.  Some  men  seek  distant 
climes  for  health,  and  some  for  pleasure.  Alaska 
invites  the  former  class  by  a  climate  singularly 
salubrious  :  the  latter  class  by  scenery,  unrivaled 
in  magnificence." 

The  product  of  such  a  climate  could  not  but  be 
a  luxuriant  vegetation.  "We  are  not,  therefore, 
surprised  to  find  in  Alaska,  "  illimitable  forests, 
so  dense  that  the  eye  cannot  penetrate  their 
glades.  Pine,  hemlock,  cedar,  spruce,  balsam-fir, 
and  Cottonwood,  are  here.  Poplar  attains  such  a 
size  that  the  Indian  shapes  of  its  trunk  a  canoe, 
ca^pable  of  holding  sixty  warriors  !  "  The  birch, 
the  larch  and  the  cypress  are  here ;  and  as 
Seward  said  after  personal  observation,  "  no 
beam,  or  pillar,  or  spar,  or  mast,  or  plank,  is  ever 
needed  in  land  or  naval  architecture  by  any  civ- 


THE  ALASKANS  103 

ilized  state,  greater  in  length  or  in  width  than 
can  be  had  from  these  trees,  hewn  and  conveyed 
to  the  coast,  directly  by  navigation."  Beneath 
the  trees  is  "  a  luxuriant  growth  of  shrubs,  par- 
ticularly of  all  varieties  of  berry-bearing  bushes 
and  vines.  Fifteen  kinds  of  berries  and  all  varie- 
ties of  currants  are  plentiful.  Hundreds  of  bar- 
rels of  cranberries  go  yearly  to  California." 
Beyond  the  forest  limits,  grasses  and  flowers  of 
white  and  gold  abound.  Yegetables  of  all  va- 
rieties can  be  easily  cultivated.  Wowhere  else 
do  cabbages,  potatoes,  cauliflower,  and  celery,  do 
so  well. 

Animal  life  is  also  an  abundant  product  of 
Alaska.  "Fur-bearing  animals  are  plentiful. 
Deer  are  so  numerous  that  their  flesh  is  little 
prized.  The  waters  are  full  of  life ;  salmon  are 
abundant  and  of  the  best  quality ;  the  seal 
fisheries  of  two  small  islands  have  paid  to  the 
United  States  Government  a  rental  of  over  three 
million  dollars  in  three  years — four  per  cent  in- 
terest on  the  money  paid  to  Eussia  for  the  entire 
country !  Other  skins  bring  from  twenty  to 
two  hundred  dollars  each,  and  are  plentiful ; 
there  are  codfish  here  to  supply  the  whole  world, 
when  our  eastern  fisheries  fail." 

The  mineral  kingdom  is  also  an  important 
factor  in  the  rich  products  of  Alaska.  "  Coal 
crops  out  everywhere ;  petroleum  floats  on  the 


104  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

lakes ;  copper  abounds ;  the  marble  of  Alaska  is 
inexhaustible ;  limestone  abounds ;  sulphur,  bis- 
muth, kaolin,  fire  clay,  and  gypsum,  are  found 
with  the  less  valuable  of  precious  stones,  as 
amethysts,  agates,  carnelian,  and  garnet."  In 
addition  to  all  these,  gold  abounds  in  great 
quantities,  and  its  discovery  a  few  years  ago  is 
leading  to  the  rapid  transformation  and  develop- 
ment of  the  entire  Territory. 

Gold,  in  great  quantities,  was  first  discovered 
in  the  Klondike,  on  the  Canadian  side  of  the 
line.  But  the  field  had  to  be  reached  by  way 
of  Alaska.  An  army  of  men  went  to  the  Klon- 
dike in  1897  and  spread  thence  over  the  line 
into  the  whole  interior  of  Alaska.  The  gold 
belt  was  found,  upon  investigation,  to  extend 
from  British  Columbia  to  the  extreme  north- 
western cape  of  Alaska.  It  runs  through  almost 
the  whole  length  of  the  Yukon  River,  and  on 
nearly  all  the  creeks,  the  color  of  gold  has  been 
found.  Cape  Nome  is  the  latest  of  rich  gold 
fields  that  have  been  discovered.  Its  first  year's 
output  of  dust,  in  1900,  amounted  in  value  to 
more  than  the  cost  of  Alaska  !  Such  statements 
seem  like  fairy  tales  and  yet  they  are  true.  The 
inrush  of  gold-seekers  has  more  than  doubled  the 
population  of  Alaska  in  the  last  five  years.  JSTor 
is  it  likely  that  this  influx  will  decrease  for  a 
number  of  years  at  least.     It  promises  rather  to 


THE  ALASKANS  105 

increase ;  for  "  the  mining  interests  of  Alaska, 
though  just  beginning  their  development,  already 
stamp  it  as  one  of  the  richest  mineral  territories 
belonging  to  the  United  States."  These  facts 
make  imperative  the  rapid  march  of  Christian 
missions. 

The  natives  of  Alaska  came  originally  from 
Asia.  They  belonged  to  the  Ungarian  and 
Mongolian  tribes  and  made  their  way  across  the 
Aleutian  Islands  and  the  Behring  Strait  into 
northern  and  central  Alaska.  Siberian  tribes 
still  have  traditions  of  the  departure  of  their 
ancestors  to  a  land  at  the  northeast  from  which 
they  never  returned.  The  descendants  of  these 
early  settlers  are  now  divided  into  many  tribes. 

The  Innuit  or  "  Eskimo  "  is  the  principal  tribe. 
"  Eskimo "  is  a  term  of  reproach  and  means 
"raw  fish  eaters."  This  tribe  occupies  the  en- 
tire coast  line  and  outlying  islands  and  numbers 
15,000.  Their  residences  are  circular  mounds  of 
earth,  with  a  small  opening  at  the  top  for  the 
escape  of  smoke.  The  entrance  to  the  main 
room  is  a  small  and  narrow  hallway.  They  are 
inveterate  smokers.  They  continually  travel 
about  in  the  summer,  but  have  permanent  winter 
homes.  They  are  brave  and  have  mostly  lacked 
religious  advantages. 

The  Aleuts  and  Creoles  occupy  the  Aleutian 
Islands.     There  are  about  2,000  Aleuts  and  500 


106  PEESBYTEKIAN  HOME   MISSIONS 

Creoles.  In  appearance  the  Aleuts  resemble  the 
Japanese.  Each  family  has  a  house  of  several 
rooms.  They  respect  the  marriage  relation. 
They  have  glass  lamps,  accordions,  hand-organs, 
and  dress  in  American  garments.  "  Their 
^Yomen,"  declares  Dr.  Jackson,  "study  with 
great  interest  the  fashion  plates,  and  some  try  to 
imitate  the  latest  styles  !  " 

The  Tinneh  occupy  the  lower  course  of  the 
Yukon  and  number  three  thousand.  The 
Thinglet  have  their  home  on  the  islands  of  the 
Alexander  Archipelago.  They  comprise  ten 
clans  and  number  nearly  six  thousand.  The 
Hydah  and  the  Hanegah  occupy  respectively 
the  northern  and  southern  parts  of  Prince  of 
Wales  Island.  The  Hydahs  number  nearly  eight 
hundred,  and  the  Hanegahs  about  six  hundred. 
The  Tongass  are  two  hundred  miles  south  of 
Fort  Wrangle,  and  number  nearly  three  hundred. 
The  Chilkat  have  their  home  in  the  valleys  of 
the  Chilkat  and  Chilkroot  rivers.  They  are 
great  "  middlemen  traders  "  and  number  a  thou- 
sand. The  Sitkas,  numbering  seven  hundred, 
are  principally  at  Sitka.  The  Hoonah  occupy 
both  sides  of  Cross  Sound  and  number  nine 
hundred.  The  Siikine  live  at  Fort  Wrangle  and 
number  three  hundred.  The  Aukes,  numbering 
six  hundred  and  fifty,  are  on  Admiralty  Island. 
The    Taku,   occupying  the   mainland   south   of 


THE  ALASKANS  107 

Douglas  Island,  number  three  hundred.  The 
KaJces^  still  south,  number  seven  hundred.  The 
Metlahahtla  occupy  Annette  Island  and  number 
about  eight  hundred. 

The  natives  of  Alaska  may  be  said  in  general 
to  be  "  well  and  strongly  made,  capable  of  great 
physical  endurance,  healthy,  long-lived,  hardy 
hunters  and  fishers,  and  bold  and  warlike."  The 
birth  rate  is  high,  but  so  is  the  death  rate. 
Mothers  are  ignorant  of  the  needs  of  children 
and  a  large  percentage  of  them  die  before  they 
are  five  years  old.  The  vices  introduced  by  the 
white  men,  such  as  impurity  and  intemperance 
in  connection  with  smallpox,  which  is  frequently 
epidemic,  are  also  depopulating  the  territory. 

Life  among  the  native  Alaskans  is  uninviting 
and  uninspiring.  A  whole  family,  sometimes 
containing  thirty  members,  live  in  a  one-roomed 
house!  Such  a  life  breeds  disease  and  makes 
domestic  decency  impossible.  Small  dark  huts 
are  built  outside  of  the  main  abode  of  the  family. 
Here  women  are  shut  up  in  sickness  and  left  to 
care  for  themselves  at  a  time  when  they  need  the 
tenderest  care.  Before  the  houses  are  erected 
"huge  carved  poles,  bearing  the  totems  of  the 
inhabitants.  The  son  takes  the  family  totem, 
or  animal  emblem  of  the  mother,  and  the  suc- 
cession of  these  totem  carvings  indicates  the 
genealogy  of   the  owner."     The  people  possess 


108  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

blankets,  beds  of  skins,  and  matting  woven  from 
coarse  grass,  used  for  beds,  screens,  and  wall  lin- 
ings. Baskets  are  made  of  tough  grass.  Their 
weapons,  tools,  knives,  forks,  and  spoons,  are 
made  of  stone.  "  Little  boxes,  combs,  masks,  and 
ornaments,  are  among  their  treasures.  Mittens, 
hoods,  leggings,  shoes,  and  moccasins,  are  admi- 
rably made  of  sealskin.  Probably  no  race  makes 
better  canoes  than  the  Alaskan."  Their  princi- 
pal foods  are  fish,  flesh,  fowl,  and  berries.  They 
dry  berries,  fish,  and  meat,  in  the  summer  for 
winter  use.  They  also  dry  small  fat  fish  for 
candles.  Fish  oil  is  also  used  for  lighting  pur- 
poses, fuel,  and  medicine. 

Native  child  life  is  especially  dark  and  discour- 
aging. When  a  child  is  born  he  "  is  washed,  well 
rubbed  with  grease,  and  then  tightly  rolled  up 
in  a  skin  or  blanket,  padded  with  grass.  The 
bundle  is  unfastened  once  a  day  and  the  grass  is 
changed.  If  he  cries  too  long,  his  head  is  held 
under  water  to  teach  him  to  be  still.  If  the 
baby  is  a  boy  and  has  a  curly  lock  on  his  head 
he  is  destined  to  become  a  shaman  or  doctor  ;  if 
he  has  any  personal  resemblance  to  an  ancestor 
who  is  dead,  he  is  supposed  to  be  that  person 
returned  to  life,  and  gets  his  name."  Infanticide 
is  frequently  practiced  when  the  parents  think 
the  chiklren  are  too  numerous.  Girls  are  more 
often   put   to  death  than  boys.     The  victim  is 


THE  ALASKANS  109 

taken  to  the  woods,  her  mouth  stuffed  with 
grass,  and  she  is  then  left  to  die.  Children  are 
practically  uncared  for  and  die  prematurely, 
many  before  they  are  five  years  of  age.  From 
five  to  twelve,  those  who  live  are  taught  useful 
industries.  A  girl  at  ten  or  twelve  years  is  put 
in  the  small  dark  hut  outside  the  house  and 
kept  there  from  three  months  to  three  years. 
Her  mother  only  sees  her,  and  occasionally  at 
night,  takes  her  out  for  a  walk.  If  she  survives, 
and  marries  on  leaving  her  place  of  imprison- 
ment, the  aim  of  her  existence  is  supposed  to  be 
attained.  But  many  do  not  survive ;  and  in  the 
light  of  the  Alaskan  woman's  degraded  condi- 
tion, it  is  a  question  if  they  are  not  the  favored 
ones.  Mothers  ofttimes  sell  their  daughters  into 
temporary  or  perpetual  slavery  ! 

The  Alaskan  shaman  or  doctor  is  believed  to 
be  possessed  of  the  devil  and  to  be  very  wise. 
To  become  a  doctor,  a  boy  is  shut  up  in  a  hut, 
like  the  girls.  He  is  tortured,  wrought  up  to  a 
frenzy,  which  must  result  in  epilepsy,  fed  on  raw 
dog  and  human  flesh.  If  he  comes  through 
these  ordeals  alive,  he  becomes  one  of  the  favored 
order  of  shaman.  The  shaman  is  orthodox  in 
his  charges,  which  are  very  extravagant.  His 
most  usual  diagnosis  is  witchcraft.  After  bowl- 
ings and  dances,  he  points  out  the  poor  victim, 
usually   a   woman   or  a   child,  who  is  brutally 


110  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

treated  until  she  confesses  or  dies — usually  both. 
"  The  shaman  is  an  arbiter  to  his  people,  an  in- 
carnate fiend,  a  vampire  living  on  the  life  blood 
of  his  tribe,  their  terror  in  health,  their  master 
in  disease,  the  dispenser  of  their  souls,  and  of 
their  bodies,  when  they  are  dead."  How  sadly 
such  a  downtrodden  and  degraded  people  need 
Jesus  Christ,  the  true  Physician  of  both  body 
and  soul ! 

Burial  of  the  dead  in  Alaska  is  unique  and  in- 
teresting. Several  methods  are  used — earth 
burial,  aerial  burial,  water  burial,  and  cremation. 
In  earth  burials,  clothing,  weapons,  domestic 
utensils,  are  placed  in  or  upon  the  graves,  for  the 
future  use  of  the  dead.  Scaffolds  are  used  in 
aerial  burials.  The  body  is  placed  in  a  box, 
basket,  or  a  canoe,  and  raised  from  the  ground 
upon  the  scaffolding.  "Water  burial  is  mostly 
used  for  women,  slaves,  and  witches.  Cremation 
is  universal  among  the  southern  Alaskans. 

The  religious  life  of  the  native  Alaskans  is 
crude  and  heathenish.  They  believe  in  a  God,  in 
demons,  in  witches,  in  the  transmigration  of  the 
soul,  and  in  a  future  life.  They  often  practice 
polygamy,  infanticide,  and  slavery.  By  their 
creed,  "  all  the  blessedness  of  the  future  is  for 
man.  Woman  has  no  inheritance  in  this  life  or 
in  the  life  to  come.  Slavery,  vice,  misery — in 
these  is  an  Alaskan  woman's  portion.     She  ex- 


THE  ALASKANS  111 

pects  nothing  else ;  hope  is  dead ;  even  for  her 
child  she  expects  nothing ;  she  murders  her 
daughter,  or  sells  her  in  early  girlhood  for  a  few 
blankets."  What  a  dark  picture,  and  how  it 
should  appeal  to  the  Christian  women  of  our 
Church !  The  very  helplessness  and  hopelessness 
of  their  sisters  in  Alaska  cry — "  Come  over  and 
help  us ! " 

Kussia  first  came  into  contact  with  Alaska 
through  the  fur  trade.  The  first  Kussian  traders 
were  ignorant,  coarse,  and  brutal.  Representa- 
tives of  the  Eussian  Government  first  came  to 
Alaska  in  1766.  "  Outrages  on  all  humanity 
characterized  their  procedure.  Their  motto  was, 
— *  Heaven  is  high;  the  Czar  is  far  distant.'" 
The  Aleuts  began  to  pay  tribute  to  Russia  in 
1779.  In  1824  and  1827  the  boundary  lines  be- 
tween Russia  and  the  United  States,  and  the 
United  States  and  England,  were  settled.  "  The 
Russians  now  built  forts,  sent  more  settlers,  and 
released  the  Aleuts  from  the  payment  of  taxes, 
but  forced  them  to  trade  entirely  with  Russian 
companies ;  and  they  also  explored  to  some  ex- 
tent the  Alaskan  mainland.  We  are  told  that 
*  the  Aleuts  were  subject  to  the  most  horrible 
outrages ;  they  were  treated  as  beasts  rather  than 
as  men.  An  Aleut's  life  was  of  no  value.' " 
Russian  occupation  of  Alaska  was  most  disas- 
trous.   The  population  was  woefully  decreased 


112  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

and  the  Alaskans  "  were  utterly  crushed  by  the 
early  traders."  Schools  and  churches  were  es- 
tablished in  time ;  but  at  most  they  did  little 
more  than  teach  the  Russian  language  and  the 
rites  of  the  Greek  Church.  Nor  was  Alaska 
specially  profitable  to  Russia.  Its  great  distance 
from  Russia,  the  diflBculties  of  access  to  it,  and 
its  proximity  to  the  possessions  of  England, 
Russia's  proverbial  enemy,  all  joined  to  make  it 
very  undesirable  territory  to  the  Government  of 
the  Czar,  Hence  Russia  was  more  than  willing 
to  listen  to  the  proposition  of  a  purchaser  in  the 
Government  of  the  United  States  ;  and  Secretar}'- 
of  State,  Hon.  William  H.  Seward,  was  just  as 
anxious  to  buy.  The  country  was  explored  in 
1865  by  a  corps  of  scientific  men,  with  the  object 
in  view  of  establishing  telegraphic  communica- 
tion with  Asia ;  and  in  this  way  the  value  of  the 
territory  was  discovered.  Negotiations  for  its 
purchase  were  at  once  opened,  and  on  the 
30th  of  March,  1867,  a  treaty  Avas  concluded  by 
which,  for  the  sum  of  seven  million  two  hundred 
thousand  dollars,  Alaska  was  ceded  to  the  United 
States.  "  The  flag  of  Russia  was  hauled  down, 
and  the  Stars  and  Stripes  floated  in  its  place. 
Russian  America  was  renamed  by  its  Indian 
title,  Alaska,  '  the  great  land.' "  Since  that 
day  the  future  of  Alaska  has  never  been  in 
doubt. 


THE  ALASKANS  113 

The  first  Christian  missionaries  to  Alaska  con- 
sisted of  eleven  Augustinian  monks  from  the  Rus- 
sian Greek  Church,  who  were  sent  out  by  Em- 
press Catharine  in  1793.  In  1822,  three  addi- 
tional priests  were  sent  from  Russia.  In  1823, 
Innocentius  Yiniaminoff,  the  real  founder  of  the 
Greek  Church  in  Alaska,  began  his  work.  Funds 
were  not  wanting  for  the  work.  "  The  Russian 
fur  company  was  taxed  $6,600  yearly  for  mis- 
sions; the  Greek  Church  mission  fund  gave 
$2,313.75  annually  to  the  same  cause;  $1,100 
came  from  the  candle  tax;  and  private  individ- 
uals gave  so  liberally  that  a  surplus  accumulated 
to  the  amount  of  $37,500,  which  was  loaned  out 
at  five  per  cent  interest,  the  interest  being  used 
on  the  field,"  Think  of  a  missionary  surplus  ! 
and  be  "  provoked  to  good  works."  Viniaminoff 
was  made  bishop  in  1840.  An  ecclesiastical 
school  was  opened  in  Sitka  in  1841,  which  in 
1845  was  endowed  and  raised  to  the  rank  of  a 
Greek  Church  seminary.  Thus  the  work  grew 
until  it  embraced  seven  missionary  districts, 
eleven  priests,  sixteen  deacons,  with  a  propor- 
tionate number  of  schools  and  a  church  member- 
ship in  1867  of  12,000.  The  only  other  Christian 
church  in  Alaska  up  to  this  time  was  a  Lutheran 
church,  which  the  Russian  Government  estab- 
lished in  1845  for  the  benefit  of  the  Fins,  Swedes, 
and  Germans,  employed  in  Russia.     With  the 


114  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

transfer  of  Alaska  to  the  United  States,  the  Kus- 
sian  churches  and  schools  were  for  the  most  part 
closed.  The  Europeans  who  had  been  with  the 
fur  company  returned  to  Europe.  The  Lutheran 
minister  and  his  flock  abandoned  the  territory ; 
and  "  the  land  was  left  without  law,  government, 
teachers,  preachers,  schools,  or  charities." 

The  churches  of  America  however  were  slow  to 
respond  to  the  call  of  Providence  in  the  acquisi- 
tion of  this  vast  territory,  with  its  thousands  of 
human  beings  who  had  been  left  spiritually  help- 
less and  hopeless.  We  might  have  supposed  that 
the  Church  would  have  been  electrified  by  this 
opportunity  and  call  to  duty.  But  this  was  far 
from  the  actual  result.  Instead,  "  ten  years 
rolled  round ;  the  churches  did  nothing,  and 
hundreds  of  immortal  souls  who  had  never  so 
much  as  heard  that  there  was  a  Saviour,  were 
hurried  to  judgment  from  a  Christian  land.  Ten 
years  came  and  went  and  thousands  were  left  to 
grow  up  in  ignorance  and  superstition,  and  form 
habits  that  will  keep  them  away  from  the  gospel, 
if  it  is  ever  offered  to  them.  It  was  also  ex- 
pected that  the  great  missionary  societies  of  this 
country  would  make  it  a  matter  of  competition 
which  should  be  first  to  unfurl  the  banner  of  the 
gospel  in  that  land ;  but  for  years,  although  the 
question  was  not  wholly  lost  sight  of,  nothing 
was  done  save  to  resolve  that  missionaries  ought 


THE  ALASKANS  115 

to  be  sent.  Such  was  the  dark  but  true  picture 
in  1877,  but  the  dawn  was  at  hand.  That  year 
the  Rev.  Sheldon  Jackson,  D.  D.,  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  visited  Alaska  and  planted  the 
first  mission  there  at  Fort  Wrangle."  Our  ex- 
ample was  followed  by  the  other  denominations, 
until  the  following  besides  ourselves  have  mis- 
sions in  Alaska — the  Episcopalians,  Methodists, 
Baptists,  Moravians,  Congregationalists,  Friends, 
Swedish  Evangelical,  and  Eoman  Catholic.  As 
far  as  possible  the  denominations  have  wisely 
settled  remotely  from  each  other.  This  arrange- 
ment prevents  all  interference,  and  the  possibility 
of  perplexing  the  natives  with  denominational 
differences. 

The  first  Presbyterian  missionary  to  Alaska 
was  Mrs.  A.  R.  McFarland — one  of  the  heroines 
of  missionary  history.  Mrs.  McFarland  began 
her  work  in  1877,  at  Fort  Wrangle.  She  was 
accompanied  in  her  first  journey  to  Alaska  by 
Dr.  Sheldon  Jackson.  For  seven  months  after 
Dr.  Jackson  returned,  she  was  the  only  white 
teacher  in  Alaska  and  for  five  months  longer  she 
was  the  only  one  at  Fort  Wrangle.  "  It  was  at 
the  edge  of  winter,  and  a  steamer  came  from 
home  only  once  a  month."  In  comparison  to 
such  heroism  and  self-denial  as  that,  what  is  that 
of  the  average  Christian  ?  What  must  have 
been  her  feelings  when  she  saw  the  vessel  having 


116  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

Dr.  Jackson  on  board  steam  away,  and  realized 
that  she  was  alone  in  a  vast  and  unknown  coun- 
try !  When  Dr.  Jackson  returned  home,  the  cry 
that  assailed  him  was,  "  What !  did  you  leave 
Mrs.  McFarland  up  there  alone  among  those 
heathen,  up  there  in  the  cold,  on  the  edge  of 
winter  ?  "  "  Yes,"  was  the  reply,  "  I  did  ;  and 
she  has  neither  books,  nor  schoolhouse,  nor  help- 
ers, nor  money,  nor  friends, — only  a  few  con- 
verted, but  morally  uninstructed  Indians,  and  a 
great  many  heathen  about  her.  Now  what  will 
you  do  for  her?"  That  interrogation  and  Dr. 
Jackson's  eloquent  appeals  aroused  and  inspired 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  from  such  a  feeble 
beginning,  our  work  has  grown  in  Alaska  until 
under  the  blessing  of  God  we  have  within  the 
bounds  of  the  Territory  two  presbyteries,  eight 
native  churches,  four  white  churches,  over  a 
thousand  charch  members,  eight  native  and  three 
white  Sabbath  schools,  one  training  school,  four- 
teen mission  school-teachers,  one  hundred  and 
fifty-one  pupils,  and  a  hospital  which  requires 
the  services  of  five  workers.  The  Woman's 
Board  maintained  mission,  boarding  and  indus- 
trial schools  at  Haines,  Hydah  (Jackson  P.  O.) 
and  Juneau  for  a  number  of  years.  In  1898, 
these  were  closed,  and  such  of  the  pupils  as  were 
willing  were  transferred  to  the  Sitka  Training 
School.     The  United  States  Government  has  a 


THE  ALASKANS  llY 

day  school  at  each  one  of  these  points,  and  the 
Board  a  home  missionary  at  each  place  also. 

The  missionary  activity  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  Alaska  has  been  limited  principally  to 
southeastern  Alaska  and  to  the  interior,  along 
the  Yukon  Yalley.  The  interior  work  has  been 
among  the  Alaskan  gold-seekers.  The  eight 
native  churches  in  the  Territory  are  located  at 
Point  Barrow,  Juneau,  Haines,  Fort  Wrangle, 
Saxman,  Hoonah,  Jackson,  and  Sitka.  The  four 
white  churches  are  at  Skaguay,  Juneau,  Sitka, 
and  Fort  Wrangle. 

The  southeastern  mission  work  began  with 
the  labors  of  Mrs.  McFarland  at  Fort  Wrangle 
in  1877.  The  field  is  now  embraced  in  Alaska 
Presbytery,  which  is  connected  with  the  Synod 
of  Washington. 

Fort  Weangle  was  our  first  missionary 
station  in  Alaska.  Mrs.  McFarland  was  sent 
hither  in  1877  by  the  First  Presbyterian  Church 
of  Portland,  Oregon.  Amidst  constant  dangers 
and  great  privations  she  heroically  persevered 
in  her  labors.  She  opened,  on  August  28,  1877, 
the  first  Presbyterian  mission  school  in  Alaska. 
About  thirty  pupils  were  enrolled.  Being  prac- 
tically without  books,  oral  instruction  was  neces- 
sary. "  Bible  texts,  the  Commandments,  the 
Lord's  Prayer,  and  also  the  multiplication  table, 
were  laboriously  taught  by  repetition."    The  first 


118  PKESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

school  building  was  a  dance  hall.  In  August, 
1878,  Eev.  S.  Hall  Young,  of  Parkersburg,  West 
Virginia,  arrived  to  take  charge  of  the  Wrangle 
work.  In  June,  1879,  Dr.  W.  H.  E.  Corlies 
and  wife,  of  Philadelphia,  independent  mission- 
aries, arrived  and  assisted  in  the  work.  On  the 
fourteenth  of  July,  1879,  the  Eev.  Henry  Ken- 
dall, D.  D.,  Secretary  of  the  Home  Board,  and 
his  wife,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Sheldon  Jackson,  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Lindsley,  of  Portland,  and  Miss  Dunbar,  vis- 
ited Wrangle  and  were  most  enthusiastically 
welcomed.  Miss  Dunbar  remained  as  a  teacher. 
On  August  the  third,  of  the  same  year,  the  first 
church  was  organized.  Eighteen  Alaskans  were 
received  on  confession  of  faith.  A  church  build- 
ing was  erected  and  occupied  for  the  first  time  on 
October  5th.  In  1888  Dr.  Young  was  succeeded 
by  Eev.  Allan  McKay  ;  and  he  in  turn  by  Eev. 
Clarence  Thwing  in  1892.  The  rush  to  the 
Klondike  in  1898  so  increased  the  population 
that  a  white  church  was  organized.  The  native 
church  now  numbers  one  hundred  members. 
The  Eev.  Harry  P.  Corser  is  the  pastor  of  both 
churches.  In  the  winter  he  often  preaches  five 
sermons  weekly  for  the  Alaskans  and  three  for 
his  white  congregation.  The  Sabbath  schools 
of  both  churches  are  prosperous.  Heathenish 
practices  are  being  successfully  combated.  The 
great  foe  to  the  work  is  intemperance,  and  to  es- 


THE   ALASKANS  119 

cape  its  ravages  Mr.  Corser  is  anxious  to  move 
his  people  to  an  island  of  their  own. 

Sitka,  the  capital  of  Alaska,  is  "  beautiful  for 
situation."  Hon.  John  G.  Brady,  governor  of 
Alaska,  but  a  former  Presbyterian  missionary, 
makes  his  home  here.  Sitka  was  naturally  the 
scene  of  our  second  missionary  endeavor  in 
Alaska.  In  1879  and  1880  an  attempt  was  made 
to  open  a  school  for  Russian  children.  It  was 
taught  by  Rev.  Alonzo  E.  Austin  and  Miss  Etta 
Austin.  Rev.  John  G.  Brady,  the  present  gov- 
ernor, was  appointed  to  Sitka  by  the  Home 
Board  in  the  winter  of  1877  and  1878.  In  April, 
1878,  a  school  was  opened  by  Mr.  Brady  and 
Miss  Fanny  E.  Kellogg.  In  December  the  school 
for  various  reasons  was  closed.  In  the  spring 
of  1880,  Miss  Olinda  Austin  of  New  York  city 
was  sent  to  the  capital  city.  She  opened  a 
school,  April  5th.  One  hundred  and  three  pupils 
were  present.  This  number  was  soon  increased 
to  one  hundred  and  thirty.  In  November  seven 
boys  asked  for  the  privilege  of  living  in  the 
schoolhouse.  This  request  was  granted  on  con- 
dition that  they  provide  the  necessary  furniture. 
This  they  did  and  thus  began  the  boarding  de- 
partment of  the  school.  The  military  officials 
at  Sitka  became  much  interested  in  this  feature 
of  the  work.  Boys  were  brought  from  distant 
tribes,  and   the   number  reached   twenty-seven. 


120  PRESBTTEEIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

In  1882  the  schoolhouse  burned  down,  and  the 
boys  found  refuge  in  a  Government  stable.  In 
188i  Rev.  John  G.  Brady  donated  a  new  loca- 
tion, and  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Sheldon 
Jackson  a  new  two  and  a  half  story  building 
was  erected,  one  hundred  by  fifty  feet  in  size. 
Dr.  Jackson  took  charge  of  the  school,  and  with 
Mr.  Austin   organized   a   church,  September  7, 

1884.  Forty  natives  and  five  white  members 
were  enrolled.  September  14-16, 1884,  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Alaska  was  organized  at  Sitka  and 
held  its  first  meeting.  In  the  same  month,  Mrs. 
A.  R.  McFarland's  home  for  girls  was  removed 
from  Wrangle  to  Sitka,  and  the  two  schools  were 
united  into  the  now  famous  Sitka  Industrial  and 
Training  School.  To  meet  the  increased  needs 
of  the  work  a  second  large  two  and  a  half  story 
building,  one  hundred  and  thirty  by  fifty  feet 
was  erected.     It  was  first  occupied  January  1, 

1885.  In  this  year  Dr.  Jackson  was  appointed 
United  States  General  Agent  of  Education  for 
Alaska  and  was  succeeded  in  his  school  work 
by  Prof.  "William  A.  Kelly,  of  Pennsylvania. 
Rev.  A.  E.  Austin  was  with  the  work  from  the 
beginning,  and  built  the  church  to  a  member- 
ship of  341.  In  1898  Mr.  Austin  and  his  wife 
left  for  the  States  to  spend  their  declining  years 
near  their  children.  He  was  followed  by  Rev. 
M.  D.  McClelland,  who  afterwards  became  the 


TUE  ALASKANS  121 

pastor  of  the  Fourth  Church  of  Portland.  Kev. 
Wm.  S.  Bannerraan  was  then  called  from  Juneau 
to  Sitka  and  began  his  work  January  1,  1901. 

The  Sitka  Industrial  and  Training  School  has 
been  an  unqualified  success.  The  school  is  entirely 
coeducational.  The  girls  and  boys  recite  in  the 
same  room  and  eat  at  the  same  table.  Proper 
opportunities  are  allowed  for  social  intercourse. 
One  half  of  each  day  is  devoted  to  study  and  the 
other  half  to  work.  The  principal  trades  taught 
to  the  boys  are  shoemaking,  coopering,  and  car- 
pentering. The  boys  make  all  the  shoes  that  are 
worn  by  the  pupils.  Barrels  and  half  barrels 
are  manufactured  by  them.  They  also  bake  the 
bread  for  the  school.  There  has  been  organized 
among  them  a  brass  band  of  twenty  members 
and  a  military  company  with  an  enrollment  of 
thirty-five.  The  girls  are  taught  all  the  indus- 
tries of  the  kitchen,  dining  room,  and  teacher's 
room.  Each  girl  is  given  individual  lessons  in 
housekeeping.  The  responsibility  is  impressed 
upon  them  while  they  are  trained  in  methods  of 
work.  The  success  of  the  school  work  is  shown 
by  the  after  lives  of  the  pupils. 

"A  recent  report  from  the  Sitka  Training 
School  gives  the  names  and  post-office  addresses 
of  former  pupils  who  are  engaged  in  the  follow- 
ing pursuits  :  Eleven  are  boot  and  shoemakers, 
three  are  engaged  in  boat-building,  two  as  car- 


122  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

penters,  three  as  coopers,  two  as  clerks  in  stores, 
four  in  canneries,  two  as  cooks,  four  in  dress- 
making, two  in  steam  engineering,  three  in 
mining,  four  are  merchants,  two  are  hospital 
nurses,  one  is  a  painter  and  paperhanger,  four 
are  engaged  in  sawmilling,  one  is  a  silversmith, 
six  are  teachers  in  public  schools,  four  are  mis- 
sionaries, and  the  names  of  twenty-eight  young 
women  are  given  who  have  married  and  preside 
over  Christian  households,  while  a  large  number 
of  others  are  unmarried  and  live  with  their 
parents." 

Sitka  has  had  and  still  has  a  number  of  schools ; 
but  "  of  all  the  schools  at  Sitka,  the  Presbyterian 
Training  School  is  the  '  City  of  Kef uge '  for  those 
fleeing  from  death, — the  'House  of  Hope'  to 
those  sitting  in  the  habitations  of  cruelty, — the 
'  House  of  Help '  to  the  starving,  friendless, 
homeless  waif, — an  asylum  to  the  escaped  slave, 
— the  protection  of  helpless  girlhood."  This  is 
Dr.  Sheldon  Jackson's  splendid  eulogy  of  our 
principal  Alaskan  school ;  and  there  is  no  higher 
authority  upon  the  subject  than  he.  If  for  all 
the  time  and  money  spent  in  this  Territory,  the 
Presbyterian  Church  had  but  produced  this 
school,  the  time  and  money  would  have  been 
well  spent.  The  Sitka  Training  School  has  been 
a  veritable  God-send  to  hundreds  of  Alaskan  boys 
and  girls. 


THE  ALASKANS  123 

A  hospital,  with  five  workers  engaged  has  also 
been  put  into  successful  operation  at  Sitka. 

Prince  of  Wales  Island  is  the  home  of  a 
small  tribe  of  Klawack  Indians  numbering  about 
three  hundred.  "William  Benson,  a  pupil  of  our 
Sitka  school,  first  visited  this  little  tribe.  Using 
Salvation  Army  methods,  he  instructed  them  in 
the  rudiments  of  Christianity,  and  they  were  won 
to  a  recognition  of  the  Christian  religion.  Later 
on  when  two  of  our  missionaries  visited  them, 
they  were  cordially  received,  and  the  people  ex- 
pressed a  strong  desire  that  a  missionary  be  sent 
to  them.  Their  prayer  has  since  been  granted 
and  successful  work  has  been  begun  by  Kev.  and 
Mrs.  David  Waggoner. 

HooNAH  lies  almost  directly  north  of  Sitka. 
The  tribe  numbers  about  one  thousand.  In  1881 
Dr.  Jackson  erected  a  sohoolhouse  and  teachers' 
residence  among  the  Hoonah,  and  put  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Walter  B.  Styles  of  New  York  city  in  charge 
of  the  work.  In  1884  Eev.  and  Mrs.  John  W. 
McFarland  were  sent  from  Wrangle  to  Hoonah. 
In  1894,  Mr.  McFarland  died  suddenly  while  at 
Juneau  on  business.  Mrs.  McFarland  still  kept 
charge  of  the  school.  In  1896  Eev.  A.  C.  Austin 
was  commissioned  to  Hoonah  and  in  1899  he 
was  succeeded  by  Kev.  William  M.  Carle  and 
family.  Heathen  customs  and  drunkenness  are 
the  great  obstacles  here.     The  work  is  hindered 


124  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

also  by  the  fact  that  in  summer  practically  all 
the  people  leave  to  seek  employment  and  pro- 
visions. Still  the  mission  has  grown  and  the 
church  now  has  over  one  hundred  members. 

Haines  lies  almost  directly  north  of  Hoonah. 
In  1881,  a  traders'  station  was  established  there, 
and  the  trader's  wife,  Mrs.  Sarah  Dickinson,  a 
native,  was  engaged  to  teach  a  school.  The  mis- 
sion proper  was  commenced  July  18,  1881,  by 
Eev.  Eugene  S.  "Willard  and  family.  Miss  Bessie 
M.  Matthews,  of  Monmouth,  111.,  opened  a  board- 
ing department  in  connection  with  the  school  in 
1883.  The  Willards  returned  to  the  East  in  1884 
to  regain  their  health.  The  mission  was  then 
closed,  but  was  reopened  in  1887,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
F.  F.  White  being  in  charge.  They  labored  for 
two  years,  and  in  1891,  Rev.  William  W.  Warne 
and  wife  were  sent  to  Haines.  The  discovery  of 
gold  led  to  the  establishment  of  an  American 
village  in  1898.  Eev.  Mr.  Warne  remained  in 
charge  until  January  1,  1901.  Mr.  Robert  Fal- 
coner, a  member  of  the  church  at  Skaguay,  suc- 
cessfully continued  the  work  for  several  months 
until  it  was  placed  in  charge  of  a  Presbyterian 
elder,  Mr.  A.  R.  Macintosh. 

Jackson  is  the  home  of  the  Hydah  Indians, 
who  number  eight  hundred.  The  mission  was 
so  named  by  the  missionaries  in  honor  of  Dr. 
Sheldon  Jackson.     In  1881  the  first  mission  was 


THE  ALASKANS  125 

established  by  the  Board  among  this  tribe.  Mr. 
James  E.  Chapman  had  charge  of  the  work.  In 
1900  the  Rev.  D.  R.  Montgomery  and  wife  began 
their  labors  here.  Splendid  results  have  fol- 
lowed. A  Sabbath  school  was  soon  organized. 
The  attendance  at  the  first  service  was  forty-one. 
A  Christian  Endeavor  society,  organized  with 
nineteen  members,  has  grown  to  a  membership 
of  over  sixty.  The  church  has  ninety-six  mem- 
bers. The  average  attendance  is  one  hundred. 
One-fourth  of  these  are  whites  who  are  inter- 
ested in  the  mining  developments  of  the  neigh- 
borhood. The  morals  of  the  community  have 
been  improved  and  heathenish  practices  partially 
overcome. 

Juneau  is  about  thirty-five  miles  north  of 
Fort  Wrangle.  It  is  one  of  the  larger  towns  of 
Alaska.  Being  near  valuable  gold  mines,  it  is 
the  site  of  an  American  mining  camp.  In  1882 
and  1883  Mrs.  ^Y.  H.  R.  Corlies  taught  a  summer 
school  here.  In  the  spring  of  1886  the  Board  of 
Home  Missions  sent  Rev.  Joseph  P.  White  to 
the  whites  at  Juneau,  and  Rev.  E.  S.  Willard  to 
the  natives.  A  church  for  the  natives  was 
erected  in  the  same  year.  A  small  house,  which 
has  since  been  replaced  by  a  commodious  build- 
ing, was  erected  adjacent  to  the  church  for  a  Mis- 
sion Home  for  native  children.  Miss  Elizabeth 
Matthews  and  Miss  Margaret  Dunbar,  assisted 


126  PEESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

by  Mrs.  Willard,  opened  a  flourishing  school  from 
which  a  number  of  children  have  gone  to  the 
training  school  at  Sitka.  Ill  health  compelled 
the  AVillards  to  return  to  the  States  in  ISO-i. 
They  were  succeeded  by  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Livingston 
F.  Jones  who  still  occupy  the  field.  Mr.  Jones 
has  been  assisted  for  several  years  by  Mr. 
Frederick  Moore,  a  native  who  graduated  at  Mr. 
Moody's  school  at  Mount  Hermon,  Mass.  The 
rapid  growth  of  Juneau  led  to  the  organization 
of  a  white  church  under  the  ministry  of  Eev. 
James  11.  Condit.  A  handsome  church  building 
and  parsonage  were  erected.  Mr.  Condit  was 
succeeded  in  1899  by  Eev.  W.  S.  Bannerman, 
but  returned  to  his  Juneau  work  January  1, 1900, 
Mr.  Bannerman  going  to  Sitka  to  succeed  Rev. 
Melzar  D.  McClelland,  who  had  accepted  a  call 
to  Portland.  The  native  church  now  numbers 
about  two  hundred  members  and  the  white  church 
twenty-five.  The  native  church  is  very  prosper- 
ous, large  accessions  being  frequently  made  on 
confession  of  faith. 

Saxman  is  the  first  station  reached  by  the 
steamers  going  north.  This  field  was  first  vis- 
ited by  Mr.  James  Young,  the  brother  of  the 
Rev.  S.  Hall  Young,  D.  D.  It  is  now  the  scene 
of  the  labors  of  Rev.  Edward  Marsden,  our  first 
native  missionary  in  Alaska.  He  began  his 
labors  in  1898,  having  been  fully  prepared  in  one 


THE  ALASKANS  127 

of  our  Alaska  mission  schools,  in  Marietta,  Ohio, 
College,  and  in  Lane  Theological  Seminary.  A 
native  church  of  twenty-three  members  was  or- 
ganized in  1809.  Mr.  Marsden  also  visits  the 
surrounding  islands,  being  facilitated  in  this 
work  by  the  possession  of  a  steam  launch. 
The  Marietta^  which  was  the  gift  of  generous 
friends.  Mr.  Marsden  is  a  faithful,  efficient  and 
successful  missionary  to  his  own  people. 

Skaguay  is  an  interesting  little  city  about 
fifteen  miles  north  of  Haines,  at  the  head  of  Lynn 
Canal.  In  1899  the  mission  there  was  received 
from  the  Canadian  Presbyterian  Church  in  ex- 
change for  our  mission  at  Dawson  City.  The 
Kev.  and  Mrs.  A.  B.  Harrison  have  been  our  mis- 
sionaries there  since  June,  1899.  Church  prop- 
erty has  been  bought  and  paid  for.  It  includes 
an  auditorium,  lecture  room,  and  parsonage.  The 
population  of  Skaguay  is  constantly  changing, 
but  it  will  always  be  an  important  strategic 
point  because  it  is  the  terminus  of  a  railroad  into 
the  interior.  The  church  has  become  self-sup- 
porting. 

Douglas  Island  lies  across  a  narrow  ocean 
channel  from  Juneau.  It  is  the  seat  of  mammoth 
gold  quartz  reduction  works.  Here  Mr.  Moore, 
the  assistant  of  Mr.  Jones  at  Juneau  opened  an 
outstation  in  1900.  A  building  has  been  erected 
and   the  work  is   prospering.     A   number  who 


128  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

have  joined  the  church  at  Juneau  are  fruits  of 
this  outstation. 

Presbyterian  missions  in  the  interior  of  Alaska 
developed  as  a  result  of  the  discovery  of  gold  in 
these  regions.  The  money  for  the  first  enter- 
prise was  furnished  by  the  First  Church  of  Au- 
burn, New  York,  and  the  Third  Church  of  Pitts- 
burgh. The  two  missionaries  selected  for  the  new 
work  were  Kev.  S.  Hall  Young  and  Eev.  George 
A.  McEwen,  M.  D.,  of  Farmington,  Missouri. 
They  sailed  from  Tacoma,  August  22,  1897. 

Dawson  City  was  the  first  interior  mission. 
It  was  reached  by  Mr.  Young  and  Dr.  McEwen, 
October  8,  1897.  They  were  cordially  received 
and  began  their  mission  work  at  once.  Men  who 
Avere  far  from  home  seeking  their  fortunes  wel- 
comed the  missionaries  and  helped  to  build  a 
church.  Many  of  them  were  highly  educated, 
some  rising  their  Greeh  Testaments  in  Bible 
study.  A  church  of  sixty  members  was  organ- 
ized, and  was  transferred  to  the  Canadian  Pres- 
byterian Church  in  exchange  for  the  Skaguay 
Mission. 

Eagle  City  is  seven  hundred  miles  down  the 
Yukon  from  Dawson.  The  journey  to  it  was  at 
first  long,  tedious  and  dangerous ;  but  it  is  now 
in  easy  communication  with  Skaguay  by  rail  to 
Lake  Bennett,  and  thence  by  steamer  down  the 
Yukon.     In  the  fall  of  1898,  Mr.  Young  visited 


THE   ALASKANS  129 

Eagle  City  and  the  surrounding  territory  on  a 
missionary  tour.  In  1899  Rev.  and  Mrs.  James 
Wollaston  Kirk,  of  Philadelphia,  were  sent  by 
the  Home  Board  to  Eagle  City.  They  left  a 
most  delightful  and  congenial  suburban  church, 
where  they  had  every  comfort  and  convenience, 
to  brave  the  dangers,  privations,  and  suiferings, 
of  the  northern  climate.  It  was  a  great  sacrifice, 
but  the  Lord  has  blessed  their  labors.  Their 
church  and  home  have  become  centers  of  happi- 
ness and  of  influence,  and  they  are  greatly  be- 
loved. Of  a  social  phase  of  their  work  Mr.  Kirk 
has  this  to  say : 

"In  our  mission  the  reading  room  is  made 
comfortable,  lighted  by  lamps,  and  supplied  with 
books,  leading  magazines,  illustrated  papers,  dic- 
tionaries, encyclopedias,  and  sundry  special  works. 
This  room  connects  with  our  cabin  by  large 
sliding  doors.  Once  each  week  these  are  thrown 
open  and  a  musicale  is  given,  consisting  of  piano 
and  vocal  selections,  occasional  recitations,  orig- 
inal stories,  short  talks  on  living  topics,  and  a 
general  social  evening.  Summer  does  not  inter- 
rupt them,  the  traveler  has  approved  them." 

Eampaet  is  six  hundred  miles  distant,  down 
the  Yukon  from  Eagle  City.  Rev.  M.  Egbert 
Koonce,  Ph.  D.,  who  accompanied  Mr.  Kirk  to 
Alaska,  was  stationed  here  in  1899. 

St.  Michael  is  the  seaport  town  and  mill- 


130  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

tary  garrison  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yukon.  It  is 
one  thousand  miles  from  Kampart.  Dr.  Koonce 
came  here  from  Eampart  in  1900. 

Cape  Nome  is  the  last  center  of  the  gold  dis- 
coveries. As  the  gold-seekers  hastened  hither,  so 
also  did  the  Presbyterian  missionary  in  the  person 
of  Dr.  S.  Hall  Young.  He  organized  a  self-sup- 
porting church  in  1900.  Thirty  charter  members 
were  enrolled.  Governor  Brady  and  Dr.  Shel- 
don Jackson  were  present  at  the  organization  of 
the  church.  Illness  compelled  Dr.  Young  to  re- 
turn home  in  October,  1900.  After  regaining  his 
health,  he  made  a  tour  of  the  eastern  churches 
in  the  interest  of  Alaskan  mission  work.  The 
church  at  Nome  was  turned  over  to  the  Congre- 
gationalists — as  being  in  their  territory.  Out- 
stations  have  been  organized  at  Teller  and 
Council,  about  seventy-five  miles  from  Nome. 

St.  Lawrence  Island  is  two  hundred  miles 
from  Cape  Nome,  out  in  the  Behring  Sea.  It  is 
the  largest  island  in  the  sea.  Gambell  is  the 
name  of  our  mission  station  on  the  island.  It 
was  named  after  our  first  missionaries  there.  In 
1891,  Dr.  Jackson  visited  the  island.  He  built  a 
schoolhouse  and  teachers'  residence.  In  July, 
1894,  Mr.  Y.  C.  Gambell,  of  Wapello,  Iowa,  was 
sent  to  the  island.  After  three  years  of  successful 
work,  he  was  compelled  to  return  to  Iowa  on 
account  of  his  wife's  health.     Her  health  having 


THE  ALASKANS  131 

been  regained  they  started  to  return  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1899.  They  left  Seattle  May  19th,  on 
the  Jane  Grey.  Off  Cape  Flattery  a  gale  was 
encountered,  and  the  vessel  sank  on  the  22d,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Gambell  with  thirty  others  being 
drowned.  Mr.  Wm.  F.  Doty,  of  Princeton  Theo- 
logical Seminary,  had  charge  of  the  Gambell 
Mission  for  a  time  and,  returning  to  the  semi- 
nary, was  succeeded  by  Mr.  P.  H.  Lerrigo. 

Point  Bareow  "  is  the  northernmost  point  of 
Alaska  and  perhaps  the  remotest  and  loneliest 
missionary  station  on  the  globe."  It  is  twelve 
hundred  miles  round  the  coast  from  Cape  JSTome. 
The  long  winter  night  lasts  from  November  19  th 
to  January  23d.  The  thermometer  goes  very  low. 
The  village  here  consists  of  thirty-one  families 
and  one  hundred  and  fifty  people.  Mrs.  Elliot  F. 
Shepard,  of  IS'ew  York,  generously  contributed 
the  money  for  this  mission.  The  first  teacher 
was  Prof.  M.  L.  Stevenson,  of  Versailles,  Ohio,  who 
arrived  July  30,  1890.  The  attendance  was  ir- 
regular, but  the  interest  in  learning  was  great. 
In  1896,  Professor  Stevenson  returned  to  Ohio. 
Kev.  H.  Kichmond  Marsh,  M.  D.,  and  wife  then 
took  charge  of  the  mission.  Theirs  was  the  first 
Christian  home  ever  seen  by  the  natives,  who 
are  very  quick  to  imitate  the  missionaries  in  all 
their  ways.  On  Easter  Sabbath,  1899,  a  church 
was  organized  with  thirteen  native  communi- 


132  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

cants.  In  the  summer  of  1899,  Rev.  Samuel  R. 
Spriggs  and  wife  came  to  Point  Barrow  to  help 
with  the  work.  In  1901,  the  church  had  thirty 
members.  Peter  Koonooya,  a  native  elder  of  this 
church,  represented  the  Yukon  Presbytery  in  the 
General  Assembly  at  Philadelphia  in  1901.  He 
was  enthusiastically  received  and  made  a  favor- 
able impression  in  the  Assembly,  as  well  as  be- 
ing a  living  testimony  to  the  value  of  mission 
work.  A  few  years  ago  he  was  a  poor  heathen, 
living  in  his  snow  hut  on  the  Arctic  shores, 
knowing  nothing  of  any  other  life ;  to-day  he 
is  a  Christian,  an  elder  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  has  been  a  commissioner  to  its  Gen- 
eral Assembly !  What  a  transformation — and 
all  the  result  of  Christian  missions ! 

The  Yukon  Presbytery  was  formed  at  the 
meeting  of  the  General  Assembly  at  St.  Louis 
in  1900.  It  held  its  first  meeting  in  August 
of  the  same  year  at  Nome.  It  belongs  to  the 
Synod  of  Washington.  Its  missions  are  at  Eagle 
City,  Rampart,  St.  Lawrence  Island,  Teller,  and 
Point  Barrow.  With  two  exceptions — St.  Law^- 
rence  and  Point  Barrow — the  missions  are  for 
the  whites ;  and  as  long  as  seekers  after  gold 
flock  to  these  far  off  regions,  the  missionary 
and  the  gospel  must  follow  them.  In  these  lie 
their  only  hope.  "  Again  and  again,"  says  Dr. 
Young,  "have  I  heard  men  testify  in  prayer 


THE  ALASKANS  133 

meetings  at  Dawson  and  Nome  to  the  effect  that 
it  was  only  the  influence  of  our  missions  that 
kept  them  from  drifting  into  the  flagrant  and 
abandoning  vices  of  those  wild  towns."  Shall 
this  influence  ever  be  removed  ? 

The  Woman's  Boaed  of  Home  Missions 
has  been  specially  interested  and  active  in 
Alaskan,  missions.  The  entire  missionary  force 
of  southeastern  Alaska  is  supported  by  the 
Woman's  Board.  These  include  the  missions  at 
Haines,  Klukwan,  Fort  Wrangle,  Hoonah,  Jack- 
son, Klawack,  Juneau,  Douglas  Island,  Saxman, 
and  Sitka.  In  addition  to  the  southeastern  work, 
this  Board  supports  Kev.  H.  E.  Marsh,  M.  D.,  at 
Point  Barrow,  and  the  Presbyterial  missionary. 
The  salaries  of  the  missionaries,  their  helpers,  the 
teachers  in  the  schools,  and  the  workers  in  the 
Sitka  hospital,  are  all  paid  by  the  Woman's  Board. 
Their  field  in  Alaska  embraces  seven  native  and 
two  white  churches,  in  addition  to  the  schools  and 
the  hospital.  Alaska  is  thus  the  special  charge  of 
the  women  of  our  Church,  and  appropriately  so ; 
for  here  the  needs  of  the  women  and  the  children, 
which  appeal  especially  to  the  sympathies  of 
womankind,  stand  out  most  prominently. 

The  Eev.  Sheldon  Jackson,  D.  D.,  LL.  D., 
is  the  hero  and  pioneer  missionary  of  Alaska. 
He  accompanied  Mrs.  A.  R.  McFarland  on  her 
first  journey  to  Alaska.     His  subsequent  appeals 


134  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

aroused  the  Church  to  the  importance  of  Alaskan 
missions.  He  has  been  identified  in  some  way 
with  almost  every  mission  in  Alaska.  In  1884, 
the  Government  recognizing  his  knowledge  and 
ability  appointed  him  General  Agent  of  Educa- 
tion in  Alaska.  In  1897,  the  Presbyterian 
Church  showed  its  appreciation  of  his  distin- 
guished services  and  achievements  by  electing 
him  Moderator  of  the  General  Assembly.  Dr. 
Jackson  is  "  a  brother  beloved,  the  Alaska 
pioneer,  missionary,  man  of  romantic  deeds,  of 
sound  common  sense,  of  quick  wit  and  shrewd 
advice.  He  is  to-day  the  best  informed  man 
on  Alaska,  her  missions,  and  her  schools,  and 
as  such  is  the  trusted  official  of  our  Govern- 
ment." 

The  Eev.  S.  Hall  Young,  D.  D.,  stands  next 
to  Dr.  Jackson  in  prominence  in  Alaska  Presby- 
terian missions.  He  became  identified  with  the 
Fort  "Wrangle  work  in  1878,  and  with  some  in- 
terruptions has  been  identified  with  Alaskan 
missions  ever  since.  In  1883  he  carried  the  re- 
quest to  the  General  Assembly  at  Saratoga  for 
the  formation  of  the  Presbytery  of  Alaska  ;  and 
in  1900  a  similar  request  to  the  St.  Louis  Assem- 
bly for  the  formation  of  the  Presbytery  of 
Yukon.  Dr.  Young  has  been  the  special  hero  of 
the  interior  missions.  He  led  the  way  to  the 
gold    fields    and   largely   through   his   personal 


THE  ALASKANS  135 

efforts  the  interior  missions  have  been  started 
and  their  support  provided  for. 

In  Hon.  John  G.  Brady,  the  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Alaska  has  provided  the  Territory 
with  a  faithful  and  efficient  governor.  He  went 
to  the  Territory  in  1878  as  our  missionary  to 
Sitka,  and  in  1881  he  was  appointed  governor. 
In  his  elevation  to  office  Mr.  Brady  lost  none  of 
his  interest  in  missions.  They  have  always  had 
his  deepest  sympathy  and  heartiest  cooperation. 

Alaska  appeals  to  us  as  Christians,  as  Pres- 
byterians, and  as  Americans.  It  is  a  field  where 
thousands  of  benighted  heathen  need  and  want 
the  gospel.  The  Presbyterian  Church  was  the 
pioneer  in  Alaskan  mission  work,  and  having  be- 
gun a  good  work  we  should  carry  it  on  to  the 
end.  "If  the  Presbyterian  Church,"  says  Dr. 
Young,  "the  pioneer  of  Alaska,  the  Church  to 
which  the  people  look  for  spiritual  help  as  to 
no  other,  is  true  to  her  past  history  and  to  her 
obligations,  she  will  send  a  consecrated  minister 
of  the  gospel  to  the  van  of  every  army  rushing 
to  the  gold  fields  of  Alaska."  Alaska  is  now 
American  territory  and  appeals  to  us  as  patriotic 
Americans.  It  is  destined  to  become  "  a  great 
land,"  indeed  ;  and  perhaps  to  form  one  or  more 
states  in  the  American  Union  !  "  When  Secre- 
tary Seward  lay  dying,  he  was  asked  what  he 
regarded  the  greatest  act  of  his  life.    He  replied, 


136  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

'  The  purchase  of  Alaska.  But  it  will  take  the 
people  a  generation  to  find  it  out.'  The  genera- 
tion has  passed — and  the  people  have  found  it 
out."  The  boundless  natural  resources  of  Alaska 
are  appreciated  to-day.  Let  the  Church  also  ap- 
preciate its  spiritual  opportunities.  Let  us 
"see  our  chance  from  the  entering  in  at  the 
glacier  gates  to  the  laud  of  the  Midnight  Sun, 
within  the  Arctic  Circle  !  We  have  paid  seven 
million  dollars  for  the  land.  We  must  pay  our 
faith  and  service  and  sacrifice  for  its  true  fitness 
to  take  its  starred  place  in  our  flag." 


V 
THE  MORMONS 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  MOEMONS 

Ik  1825,  Joseph  Smith,  an  obscure  young  man 
of  twenty  years  of  age,  without  education  and 
without  fortune,  lived  in  the  town  of  Manchester, 
New  York.  For  several  years  he  had  been  a 
religious  enthusiast  and  had  dreams  of  himself  as 
the  founder  of  a  new  religion.  In  1831  his 
dreams  began  to  be  realized — he  became  the  head 
of  a  sect  numbering  six  persons.  In  a  few  years 
this  number  had  increased  to  thirty ;  after  seventy 
years,  many  of  them  characterized  by  thrilling 
vicissitudes,  this  sect  to-day  numbers  over  three 
hundred  thousand,  has  its  own  Bible,  and  its 
zealous  missionaries  in  every  part  of  the  world. 
Its  Bible  is  the  "  Book  of  Mormon  " ;  it  calls  it- 
self "  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  the  Latter 
Day  Saints  "  ;  but  the  outside  world  knows  it  as 
Mormonism. 

Joseph  Smith,  the  founder  and  prophet  of 
Mormonism,  was  born  in  Sharon,  Windsor 
County,  Vermont,  December  3,  1805.  He  had 
six  brothers  and  three  sisters.  In  1815  his  father 
moved  to  Palmyra,  New  York,  and  thence  to 

139 


140  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

JManchester,  a  neighboring  town.  Here  tlie  fu- 
ture prophet  spent  a  number  of  years.  He  was 
a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  outside  of  being  able 
to  read  and  write,  his  education  was  very  limited. 
In  1820  great  religious  interest  was  aroused  in 
Manchester  and  the  surrounding  neighborhood. 
Five  of  the  Smith  family  became  Presbyterians. 
Joseph  according  to  his  own  account  "became 
somewhat  partial  to  the  Methodists,"  but  was 
bidden  by  two  heavenly  visitors  not  to  join  any 
sect.  He  spent  much  time  in  solitude,  in  medita- 
tion, and  in  prayer.  On  September  22,  1823,  he 
was  visited  by  a  third  celestial  messenger  who 
told  him  about  golden  plates  he  was  to  find,  and 
revealed  to  him  that  he  was  to  become  a  prophet. 
From  this  time,  he  states  that  his  days  and 
nights  were  filled,  and  his  life  was  guided,  by 
"visions,"  "voices,"  and  "angels."  On  Septem- 
ber 22, 1827,  under  celestial  guidance  he  exhumed 
the  golden  plates,  and  took  them  to  his  home. 
He  found  them  buried  in  the  hill  Cumorah, 
about  four  miles  from  Manchester,  between  Man- 
chester and  Palmyra.  The  contents  were  written 
in  "reformed  Egyptian."  For  more  than  two 
years  Smith  was  engaged  by  the  aid  of  "  ITrim 
and  Thummim  "  in  translating  them  into  English. 
In  March,  1830,  the  translation  was  completed 
and  placed  in  the  printer's  hand.  After  the 
translation  an  angel  took  charge  of  the  original 


THE    MORMONS  141 

plates.  This  translation  Smith  gave  to  the  world 
as  the  "  Book  of  Mormon,"  and  it  has  ever  since 
been  the  Bible  of  the  "  Latter  Day  Saints."  Such 
is  the  history  of  the  origin  of  the  "  Book  of  Mor- 
mon "  as  given  by  Smith  and  his  followers. 

The  true  story  of  the  "  Book  of  Mormon "  is, 
however,  undoubtedly  very  different.  The  basis 
of  it  was  written  by  one  Solomon  Spaulding,  a 
Presbyterian  minister  who  lived  successively  in 
eastern  Ohio,  Pittsburgh  and  at  Amity,  a  rural 
community  not  far  from  Pittsburgh.  Spaulding 
was  under  the  illusion  that  the  American  In- 
dians were  the  descendants  of  the  ten  tribes  of 
Israel.  In  time  of  infirm  health,  he  wrote  a 
romance  to  confirm  this  view  and  called  it  The 
Manuscript  Found.  In  this  book  there  was 
much  repetition  of  scriptural  phrases,  such  as  "  it 
came  to  pass "  and  the  frequent  use  of  such 
names  as  Lehi,  JS'ephi,  Moroni,  and  Lamarites. 
At  Amity,  where  Spaulding  frequently  read 
chapters  of  his  story  to  his  neighbors,  he  was 
called  "  Old  man  came  to  pass."  While  in  Pitts- 
burgh Spaulding  became  acquainted  with  the 
editor  of  The  Presbyterian  Banner.  He  asked 
him  to  publish  his  romance,  and  it  lay  for  two 
years  in  the  Banner  office.  At  the  same  time 
Sidney  Kigdon,  who  became  second  to  Smith 
among  the  Mormons,  then  a  Baptist  minister, 
was  employed  in  the  Banner  office.     He  read 


142  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

The  Manuscript  Found  and  is  kno\vn  to  have 
had  it  in  his  possession  for  a  time  and  to  have 
taken  a  copy  of  it.  Kev.  Julius  Winters,  also  a 
Baptist  minister,  testifies  that  he  saw  a  copy  of 
Spaulding's  The  Manuscript  Found  in  Rigdon's 
house  in  Pittsburgh  in  1822-23.  Rigdon  visited 
Palmyra  about  the  same  time  and  became  a 
friend  of  Smith's  and  joined  the  Mormons  soon 
after  their  organization. 

That  The  Manuscript  Found  is  the  principal 
basis  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  is  unquestioned  by 
those  who  ought  to  be  able  to  speak  with  au- 
thority upon  the  subject.  People  of  western 
Pennsylvania  to  whom  Spaulding  had  read  his 
manuscript  recognized  it  immediately  when  they 
heard  of  the  Book  of  Mormon.  As  many  as  fifty 
persons  have  sworn  to  the  fact  of  the  similarity 
of  the  two  books.  Among  these  were  Spaulding's 
widow,  his  brother,  and  his  daughter.  In  1880, 
Mrs.  M.  S.  McKistry,  Spaulding's  daughter,  in  a 
sworn  statement  testified  that  the  original  manu- 
script was  secured  from  her  in  1834  by  a  man 
named  Hurlburt,  upon  the  representation  that  he 
wanted  to  compare  it  with  the  Book  of  Mormon. 
All  evidence  shows  that  Hurlburt  was  a  Mor- 
mon, and  that  the  manuscript  was  secured  and 
probably  destroyed  in  the  interest  of  the  Mormon 
Church. 

The  man  Mormon  according  to  Mormon  eccle- 


THE    MORMONS  143 

siastical  history  was  a  Nephite  leader  and  the 
last  of  the  sacred  prophets  in  ancient  America. 
Mormon  perished  in  a  battle  with  the  Lamarites 
in  420  A.  D.  Both  these  tribes  had  descended 
from  the  family  of  Lehi,  a  member  of  the 
Israelitish  tribe  of  Manasseh,  which  came  to 
America  600  B.  0.  In  the  battle  in  which  Mor- 
mon fell  the  Nephites  were  practically  exter- 
minated. The  Lamarites  alone  occupied  the 
country  and  their  descendants  are  the  American 
Indians.  On  golden  plates  Mormon  wrote  the 
history,  faith,  and  prophecies,  of  these  ancient  in- 
habitants of  America.  These  plates  Mormon 
intrusted  to  his  son  Moroni.  Moroni  survived 
the  battle  with  the  Lamarites  and  was  the  last 
of  his  race.  Before  dying  he  "  laid  up "  the 
golden  plates  in  the  hill  of  Cumorah,  the  scene 
of  the  last  battle  of  the  Nephites.  Here  they 
were  revealed  to  Joseph  Smith.  They  contain 
the  accounts  of  the  migrations  from  Palestine  to 
America,  and  record  the  visits  of  Christ  to  these 
early  Americans,  to  whom  he  repeated  the  Ser- 
mon on  the  Mount,  appointed  twelve  apostles, 
and  gave  personal  instruction  in  the  subject  of 
the  Sacraments  of  Baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper. 
The  Book  of  Mormon  has  been  supplemented 
by  "The  Book  of  Doctrines  and  Covenants." 
This  book  contains  the  revelations  to  Joseph 
Smith   and   Brigham   Young.     These,  with  the 


144  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

Bible,  form  the  Mormon  Scriptures.  They  con- 
sider the  Old  Testament  as  being  specially  for 
the  Jews,  the  New  Testament  for  the  Judaic 
and  European  Christian  Church,  the  Book  of 
Mormon  for  the  American  Christian  Church,  and 
the  Book  of  Doctrines  and  Covenants  specially 
for  themselves. 

The  history  of  the  development  and  spread  of 
Mormonism  has  been  most  remarkable.  The 
Mormon  religion,  if  it  may  be  so  called,  began 
with  the  experiences  and  achievements  of  Joseph 
Smith.  January  18, 1829,  he  married  Emma  Hale 
against  her  parents'  wishes.  The  Mormon 
Church  was  organized  A23ril  6, 1830,  at  Fayette, 
Seneca  County,  ISTew  York  at  the  home  of  a  con- 
vert named  Whitmer.  Six  members  were  en- 
rolled— the  prophet,  two  of  his  brothers,  two 
Whitmers  and  Oliver  Cowdery,  a  school-teacher. 
Cowdery    had    become    Smith's   amanuensis  in 

1829.  On  May  15,  1829,  by  the  command  of  an 
angelic  messenger,  who  called  himself  John  the 
Baptist,  Smith  baptized  Cowdery  and  Cowdery 
baptized  him.  Afterwards  they  ordained  each 
other  to  the  Aaronic  priesthood.  Smith  later 
received  the  Melchizedec  priesthood  from  the 
Apostles  John,  James,  and  Peter.     In  December, 

1830,  Sidney  Rigdon,  who  had  secured  for  Smith 
the  copy  of  The  Manuscinpt  Found^  announced 
himself  as  a  convert.     "  Eigdon  was  erratic,  but 


THE    MORMONS  145 

eloquent;  self-opinionated,  but  versed  in  the 
Scriptures  ;  and  in  literary  culture  and  intellec- 
tual force  was  the  greatest  man  among  the  early 
Mormons."  From  this  point  on  the  sect  grew 
very  rapidly. 

The  first  "  gathering  place  "  of  the  saints  was 
at  Kirkland,  Ohio,  near  a  former  pastoral  charge 
of  Eigdon.  The  settlement  was  made  here  in 
1831.  In  the  same  year,  Jackson  County,  Mis- 
souri, became  the  seat  of  another  "gathering." 
But  wherever  the  Mormons  collected  trouble  at 
once  arose.  Their  claims  to  particular  sainthood, 
their  peculiar  doctrines,  and  their  united  social 
and  political  action,  aroused  great  antagonism. 
In  1843,  they  nominated  Smith  and  Rigdon  for 
President  and  Vice-president  of  the  United  States ! 
"  Everywhere  the  outcome  was  the  same — expul- 
sion and  banishment,  with  more  or  less  out- 
rageous violence."  In  1833,  the  Jackson  County 
settlement,  numbering  1,200,  was  driven  into 
Clay  County;  in  1836,  into  Caldwell  County, 
and  in  1839,  out  of  the  State  of  Missouri  entirely. 
In  1838,  those  settled  at  Kirkland  were  driven 
from  Ohio.  Then  all  fled  and  founded  JSTauvoo, 
on  the  Mississippi  River,  in  Illinois. 

The  Kauvoo  settlement  lasted  for  five  years 
and  was  the  scene  of  stirring  events  and  a  com- 
plete change  in  leadership.  In  a  little  while  a 
considerable  town  was  built  up  and  a  spacious 


146  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

temple  erected.  Joseph  Smith  here  reached  the 
zenith  of  his  powers  as  the  Mormon  prophet. 
However,  the  opposition  to  the  Mormons  did  not 
cease.  The  surrounding  counties  were  bitter  in 
their  hostility  and  persecution.  Great  indigna- 
tion was  aroused  over  the  introduction  of  the 
"  spiritual  wife  "  doctrine.  An  opposition  paper, 
The  Ex2)ositoi\  was  started  at  Nauvoo.  In  the 
first  number  it  printed  the  names  of  sixteen 
women  who  testified  to  the  effect  that  Joseph 
Smith,  Sidney  Kigdon,  and  others,  had  endeavored 
to  lead  them  to  become  "  spiritual  wives  "  under 
the  plea  of  special  revelations  from  heaven.  The 
Mormons  were  aroused.  The  editors  of  The  Ex- 
])ositor  were  driven  out  of  Nauvoo,  and  the  news- 
paper office  was  razed  to  the  ground.  The 
editors  sought  redress  in  the  courts.  Joseph 
Smith,  Hyram  Smith,  his  brother,  and  two  others, 
were  arrested  and  thrown  into  prison  at  Carthage, 
a  near-by  village.  Here  they  were  attacked  by  a 
mob  and  the  two  Smiths  were  murdered,  Jan- 
uary 27,  1844.  The  blood  of  Joseph  Smith,  to  a 
great  degree,  became  the  seed  of  the  Mormon 
Church.  The  halo  of  martyrdom  was  cast  about 
his  death.  The  dissentions  in  the  Church,  Smith's 
puerile  and  repeated  "  revelations,"  and  the  de- 
grading social  conditions,  were  rapidly  working 
disintegration.  But  all  these  influences  were 
offset  by  Smith's  unfortunate  and  unjustifiable 


THE   MORMONS  147 

murder.  Brigham  Young,  the  President  of  the 
"twelve  apostles,"  hurried  from  the  East  to 
Nauvoo  and  succeeded  Smith.  "  He  was  strong 
where  Smith  was  weak — in  prudence,  sagacity, 
common  sense,  practical  energy.  He  wasted  no 
time  in  getting  and  giving  '  revelations.'  Only 
one  '  revelation '  is  on  record  as  promulgated  by 
him." 

Smith's  death,  even,  did  not  allay  the  opposi- 
tion to  Mormonism.  The  new  leader  soon  saw 
that  the  "  saints  "  must  leave  Nauvoo.  The  ex- 
odus began  in  the  early  spring  of  1846.  Their 
chief  encampment  was  what  is  now  Council 
Bluffs,  which  they  called  "Winter  Quarters." 
In  1847,  Brigham  Young  and  one  hundred  and 
forty-two  pioneers  pushed  resolutely  westward 
for  eleven  hundred  miles  to  the  Great  Salt  Lake 
Yalley.  They  arrived  there  July  24,  1847. 
That  day  has  since  been  a  great  day  for  cele- 
bration to  the  Utah  Mormons,  quite  eclipsing 
July  4.  Some  wintered  in  the  valley,  but  Young 
and  a  few  others  came  back  to  "  Winter  Quar- 
ters." In  1848,  Young  with  four  thousand  fol- 
lowers returned  to  Utah  and  "  there  he  lived  and 
ruled  in  right  kingly  manner  for  thirty  years, 
dying  August  29,  1877."  After  Young's  death, 
the  leadership  devolved  upon  the  president  of  the 
"  twelve  apostles,"  several  of  whom  have  since 
held  the  first  position  among  the  "  saints." 


148  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

From  the  very  beginning  Mormonism  has 
flourished  in  Utah.  Missionaries  have  been  com- 
pelled, at  their  own  expense,  to  go  all  over  the 
Avorld  preaching  their  doctrines.  In  1849,  a 
"  Perpetual  Emigration  Fund,"  which  has  some- 
times been  enormously  large,  was  established  to 
make  it  possible  for  poor  "  saints "  to  come  to 
Utah  from  any  part  of  the  world.  As  soon  as 
possible  after  arrival  they  are  required  to  reim- 
burse the  Emigration  Fund  to  the  extent  of  their 
benefaction.  Salt  Lake  City  has  grown  to  be  a 
large  city.  The  Territory,  increased  in  popula- 
tion, has  been  admitted  into  the  Union  as  a  State. 

This  rapid  growth  of  Mormonism  is  only  an- 
other illustration  of  "  the  truth  that  no  absurdity 
of  fanaticism  is  too  outrageous  to  attract  be- 
lievers. The  learned  and  the  unlearned,  the  rich 
and  the  poor,  the  gentle  and  the  simple,  alike 
break  through  the  trammels  of  reason  and  honor 
the  dupes  of  religious  impostors  or  of  persons 
who  are  more  dangerous — the  religious  maniacs 
who  strengthen  their  cause  by  their  conscientious 
belief  in  it."  Many  things  worked  together  to 
spread  Mormonism  in  spite  of  its  falsity.  Smith's 
doctrine  of  the  Second  Coming  of  Christ  was  at- 
tractive to  some.  Its  missionaries  were  enthu- 
siastic and  zealous.  Religious  and  biblical  terms 
were  used  by  them  but  their  difference  in  mean- 
ing was  not  explained.     Mormonism  was  splen- 


THE    MOEMONS  149 

didly  organized.  Polygamy  was  no  small  factor. 
It  attracted  people  of  certain  character  and  by 
ostracizing  the  Mormons  from  all  other  social  re- 
lations made  them  compact  and  therefore  strong. 
These  elements  of  growth  are  still  being  utilized 
to  advantage  the  world  over  and  the  present 
progress  of  this  heresy  and  delusion  is  one  of  its 
most  alarming  features. 

Ecclesiastically,  Mormonism  is  an  organized 
hierarchy  of  the  most  despotic  character.  It  is 
both  a  Church  and  a  State,  under  the  supreme 
control  of  a  hierarchy,  whose  powers  and  prerog- 
atives have  never  been  excelled  by  any  other  re- 
ligious sect  or  order.  Mormonism  as  an  eccle- 
siastical despotism  out-Jesuits  Jesuitism.  The 
priesthood  consists  of  two  classes  :  the  Melchize- 
dec  and  the  Aaronic.  The  Melchizedec  priest- 
hood, which  is  the  higher,  includes  the  offices  of 
apostle,  seventy,  patriarch  or  evangelist,  high 
priest,  and  elder.  All  of  these  officers  are  elders. 
They  preach,  baptize,  ordain  other  elders,  and 
also  priests,  teachers,  and  deacons,  administer  the 
Lord's  Supper,  lay  on  hands  for  the  gift  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  bless  children,  and  lead  the  meetings. 
These  elders,  when  commanded  to  do  so,  must  go 
at  their  own  expense  to  any  part  of  the  world  as 
missionaries. 

The  Aaronic  priesthood  includes  the  offices  of 
bishop,  priest,  teacher,  and  deacon.     The  bishop 


150  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

is  both  a  spiritual  and  temporal  officer.  The 
priest's  duty  is  to  preach,  to  baptize,  administer 
the  Communion,  and  to  visit  and  exhort  the 
saints.  The  teacher  is  the  Mormon  class-leader, 
and  the  deacon  is  his  assistant. 

The  president  of  the  church  is  the  head  of  all 
affairs,  both  temporal  and  spiritual.  With  his 
two  counselors  he  forms  the  First  Presidency, 
and  his  authority  is  supreme.  Then  come  the 
apostles,  seventy,  patriarchs,  and  so  on  down  the 
line.  Mormonism  has  its  own  judiciary  and  sys- 
tem of  appeals.  Every  city,  ward,  or  country 
district,  has  its  bishop,  who  with  his  two  coun- 
selors, form  the  bishop's  court.  Every  city  or 
"  stake  " — a  chief  town  and  surrounding  towns 
— has  its  president  with  two  counselors.  Each 
president  has  also  a  high  council  of  chosen  men. 
Between  these  high  councils  and  the  First  Presi- 
dency is  the  High  Council,  consisting  of  twelve 
high  priests  pertaining  to  the  First  Presidency. 
Appeals  may  be  taken  from  one  court  to  another 
until  it  reaches  the  First  Presidency,  which  is  the 
last  court  of  appeal,  and  whose  decision  is  su- 
preme and  absolute.  The  ecclesiastical  system  is 
supported  financially  by  tithing.  Rich  and  poor 
must  give  their  tenth  to  the  Church  and  thus 
millions  of  dollars  are  raised  for  the  support  of  this 
monster  octopus,  which  holds  the  spiritual,  social 
and  political  lives  of  its  adherents  in  its  hands. 


THE    MOEMONS  151 

Theologically,  Mormonism  "  is  made  up  of  a 
most  singular  congeries  of  dogmas  and  absurdi- 
ties, some  coined  from  the  ignorant  and  pre- 
sumptuous brain  of  the  impostor  Smith ;  some 
gathered  from  the  ancient  Gnostic  and  Platonic 
theories  in  reference  to  the  creation  of  the  world 
by  ^ons,  or  the  moving  element  in  water ;  some 
derived  from  the  Brahmin  mysticisms  on  the  sub- 
ject of  the  independence  of  God ;  some  from  the 
slough  of  Mohammedan  sensualism ;  some  from 
oriental  theories  in  reference  to  the  transmigra- 
tion of  the  soul ;  and  a  few  from  the  pure  and 
divine  revelations  of  the  Bible."  Compared  to 
such  conglomerations  "  even  the  ancient  heathen- 
ism of  Greece  and  Rome,  were  beautiful,  instruct- 
ive, and  elevating."  Theoretically  the  Bible  is 
one  of  their  books,  but  practically  it  has  no  place 
among  them.  They  believe  in  baptism  by  im- 
mersion; no  children  under  eight  years  of  age 
are  baptized.  They  confirm  by  laying  on  of 
hands.  The  Lord's  Supper  is  observed  weekly, 
water  being  used  instead  of  wine,  in  accordance 
with  a  "  revelation "  to  Smith.  The  Mormons 
believe  and  teach  that  God  was  once  a  man,  and 
that  all  men  may  become  gods !  "  Adam,"  said 
Brigham  Young,  "is  our  father  and  our  God, 
and  the  only  God  with  whom  we  have  to  do." 
Christ,  according  to  their  theology,  is  the  Son  of 
God,  yet  another  and  a  different  substance  from 


152  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

the  Father.  The  Holy  Spirit  is  not  a  person,  but 
only  an  influence  or  emanation.  They  also  be- 
lieve in  the  preexistence  of  the  soul,  the  millen- 
nium, baptism  for  the  dead,  polygamy,  miracles, 
and  tithing.  These  are  not  only  the  doctrines  of 
the  past  but  the  doctrines  of  the  present.  They 
are  being  taught  to-day  wherever  the  voice  of 
Mormonism  is  heard,  and  should  be  strenuously 
opposed  until  they  are  completely  overthrown. 

Socially,  Mormonisn  is  a  dark  blot  upon  Chris- 
tian civilization.  Its  doctrines  of  polygamy  and 
"spiritual  wives"  have  brought  forth  terrible 
fruits.  Polygamy  was  not  at  first  a  doctrine  of 
Mormonism.  It  is  even  forbidden  in  the  Book 
of  Mormon.  The  earlier  revelations  of  Smith  dis- 
tinctly reprobated  it.  It  is  said,  however,  to 
have  been  sanctioned  in  a  revelation  to  Smith  at 
Nauvoo,  July  12,  1843 :  but  it  was  not  promul- 
gated until  the  fall  of  1852.  This  was  done  by 
Brigham  Young  at  Salt  Lake  City.  The  "  spirit- 
ual wife "  doctrine  by  which  a  woman  already 
married  may  become  spiritually  and  secretly  the 
wife  of  another  beside  her  husband  was  an 
emanation  from  Smith,  Kigdon,  and  others,  at 
Nauvoo.  "When  Utah  was  admitted  to  the  Union 
polygamy  was  prohibited  in  the  State.  But  the 
making  and  execution  of  laws  against  the  prac- 
tice devolved  upon  the  Legislature  of  Utah,  the 
members  of  which  are  Mormons.     The  Mormon 


THE    MOKMONS  153 

hierarchy  professed  to  acquiesce  in  this  restric- 
tion. State  laws  were  passed  prohibiting  polyg- 
amy, but,  by  missionaries  who  live  in  Utah  and 
do  not  simply  see  Mormonism  on  dress  parade 
for  a  day  in  Salt  Lake  City,  it  is  claimed  that  the 
Constitutional  enactment  against  polygamy  is  a 
dead  letter  and  is  not  enforced  by  the  Mormon 
officials.  It  is  also  declared  by  those  who  are  in 
position  to  know  that  while  "  the  Mormon  Church 
does  not  just  at  this  time  dare  to  openly  preach 
this  doctrine  yet  it  is  secretly  taught  and  prac- 
ticed throughout  the  State  of  Utah  and  other 
states."  It  is  this  which  makes  imperative  an 
amendment  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States  against  polygamy.  Polygamy  would  then 
become  a  national  crime,  the  national  Govern- 
ment would  enforce  the  law  against  it  and  punish 
all  its  offenders. 

Politically,  Mormonism  is  a  grave  peril  to  any 
government  under  which  it  exists.  It  has  always 
exercised  civil  powers  and  prerogatives  and  has 
frequently  boasted  that  its  authority  would  be- 
come supreme  in  the  United  States.  Mormonism 
has  never  had  any  love  for  the  United  States 
Government.  It  has  always  held  the  Govern- 
ment responsible  for  Smith's  death  and  the  per- 
secutions of  the  East.  In  1850  Brigham  Young 
refusing  to  be  succeeded  as  Governor  of  Utah  led 
an  open  revolt  against  the  United  States  Govern- 


154  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME  MISSIONS 

ment  and  drove  out  its  officials.  He  successfully 
resisted  official  decapitation  until  1858,  when 
President  Bachanan's  appointee  for  governor 
was  allowed  to  take  his  seat.  An  armed  force 
was  kept  in  Utah  until  1860  when  it  was  removed. 
"  Like  a  huge  octopus,  the  Mormon  hierarchy 
is  fastening  its  tentacles  throughout  the  Kocky 
Mountain  states,  and  is  sapping  from  its  devotees 
.the  very  life-blood  of  American  freedom.  By 
means  of  a  systematic  colonization  and  the  rapid 
increase  of  population  through  plural  wives  the 
Mormon  Church  already  holds  the  balance  of 
political  power  in  seven  or  eight  Kocky  Mountain 
states  and  territories.  For  many  years  Mormon- 
ism  has  been  quietly  but  rapidly  acquiring  vast 
tracts  of  the  best  land  all  through  these  states 
on  which  to  settle  Mormon  emigrants  who  prac- 
tically become  helpless  vassals  of  the  Church. 
Already  Mormon  emigration  is  pouring  beyond 
into  Montana,  "Washington,  and  California.  The 
Mormon  leaders  boast  that  they  will  not  only 
hold  the  halance  of  ^political  jpower  in  these 
states,  but  will  dictate  their  own  terms  to  the 
national  Government."  The  danger  of  Mor- 
monism  as  a  political  despotism  is  not  fully  real- 
ized by  the  American  people.  The  nation  needs 
to  become  aroused,  in  order  that  the  danger  may 
be  averted,  before  it  can  only  be  done  by  a  seri- 
ous conflict. 


THE   MOEMONS  155 

With  such  an  ecclesiastical,  religious,  social 
and  political  monstrosity  in  our  land,  it  was  not 
surprising  that  the  Church  should  raise  its  voice 
against  it,  and  should  try  to  counteract  and  to 
destroy  its  pernicious  influences.  The  Church 
always  and  rightfully  leads  in  assaults  against 
evil.  The  voices  of  churchmen  were  heard 
against  slavery  before  those  of  statesmen,  and  in 
the  final  act  of  emancipation,  the  inspiring  in- 
fluence back  of  the  statesman  was  a  clergyman. 
Christianity,  patriotism,  and  humanity,  appealed 
to  the  Church  to  gird  itself  against  Mormonism, 
the  common  enemy  of  them  all,  and  by  "the 
sword  of  the  Spirit,  which  is  the  word  of  God  " 
to  reclaim  the  deluded  saints  and  undermine  and 
destroy  the  ecclesiastical  and  political  despotism. 
The  Church  heard  the  call  and  responded  to  its 
duty  and  its  opportunity.  Missions  to  the  Mor- 
mons have  long  been  an  established  fact  and  are 
destined  more  and  more  to  become  a  powerful 
factor  in  checking  and  overcoming  the  degrad- 
ing influences  of  Satan's  crowning  invention  in 
the  nineteenth  century — Mormonism. 

Presbyterian  missionaries  were  among  the 
pioneer  workers  in  Utah.  They  exposed  Mor- 
monism— "  its  inherent  depravity,  its  fanaticism, 
its  anti-American  ways,  and  its  corrupting  in- 
fluence upon  the  adjacent  territories  in  such  a 
way  as  to  arrest  the  attention  of  Congress,  rouse 


156  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

the  Protestant  cliurches,  enlist  the  public  press, 
and  the  two  great  political  parties."  Besides 
our  OAvn  Church,  the  other  religious  denomina- 
tions at  work  among  the  Mormons  are  the 
Methodists,  Congregationalists,  Episcopalians, 
Baptists,  M.  E.  Scandinavians,  Christians,  and 
Lutherans.  The  Presbyterians  and  Methodists  are 
far  in  the  lead  of  other  Protestant  denominations 
in  the  number  of  their  missionaries,  missions, 
schools,  church  members,  and  scholars. 

The  first  Presbyterian  missionary  to  Utah  was 
the  Rev.  M.  Hughes,  who  began  work  at  Corrine 
in  August,  1869.  Here  he  succeeded  in  organiz- 
ing our  first  church  in  Utah.  Preliminary  visits 
in  the  interest  of  Presbyterian  missions  had  been 
made  by  Rev.  Henry  Kendall  D.  D.,  Secretary 
of  the  Home  Board,  and  by  Rev.  Sheldon  Jack- 
son, D.  D.  Dr.  Kendall  made  his  visit  in  1864. 
He  was  followed  by  Dr.  Jackson  who  explored 
the  Territory  and  opened  the  way  for  the  first 
missionary  in  the  person  of  Mr.  Hughes.  Salt 
Lake  City,  the  capital,  was  naturally  the  second 
scene  of  our  labors.  It  was  visited  by  Rev.  Josiah 
"Welch  in  1871  and  a  church  of  ten  members  was 
organized  in  November  of  the  same  year.  A 
church  building  was  erected  in  18Y4.  In  the 
basement  of  this  building,  Salt  Lake  Collegiate 
Institute  was  opened  in  1875  by  Prof.  I.  M. 
Coyner,   under    whose  management  it  grew  to 


THE   MOEMONS  15Y 

be  one  of  the  finest  schools  in  Utah.  Yaluable 
and  beautiful  property  has  since  been  acquired. 
In  1870,  there  was  one  Presbyterian  missionary 
in  Utah ;  in  1871-  two;  in  1875,  four  missionaries 
and  five  congregations. 

The  year  1875  was  signalized  by  the  opening 
of  the  first  interior  mission.  In  February  of  that 
year  the  Eev.  D.  J.  McMillan,  D.  D.,  "  went  down 
into  the  heart  of  the  Territory  and  settled  at 
Mount  Pleasant.  At  the  risk  of  his  life  he  con- 
tinued to  preach  and  to  teach  until  he  accepted 
the  Presidency  of  the  College  of  Montana  at  Deer 
Lodge,"  in  1884.  Dr.  McMillan  did  a  great  work 
in  interior  Utah.  In  April,  1875,  he  opened  a 
school,  with  thirty  Mormon  pupils.  At  the  time 
of  his  retirement  the  number  had  increased  to  one 
hundred  and  fifty.  "Writing  of  his  experiences 
and  labors  in  1881,  he  said  :  "  When  I  reached  this 
■populous  valley,  March  3,  1875,  I  found  myself 
one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  away  from  any 
Christian — not  one  professing  Christian  among 
seventeen  thousand,  who  lived  and  moved  and 
had  their  being  in  this  valley.  The  entire  non- 
Mormon  element  had  come  out  from  the  Mor- 
mon Church  and  were  avowed  enemies  of  all 
religion.  Spurned  by  many  of  the  household  of 
faith,  (who  did  not  believe  in  Mormon  missions) 
despised  and  cursed  by  the  Mormon  priests  and 
apostles,  I  was  impelled  by  the  promises  of  God 


158  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

and  drawn  b}'-  the  prospect  of  seventeen  thousand 
■without  another  voice  to  declare  a  Saviour's  love 
to  them.  Oh  !  those  days  seem  now  to  be  but 
strange  visions  of  the  past !  Out  of  those  trying 
and  perilous  days,  and  through  the  then  dark 
and  portentous  future,  God  has  surely  led  us. 
Five  hundred  children  and  youth  have  passed 
under  our  instruction  and  influence  and  now  call 
us  blessed.  The  circle  of  young  people  has  been 
revolutionized.  A  church,  whose  roll  contains 
forty -two  names,  has  grown  up.  Three  other 
churches,  in  as  many  neighboring  towns  are  part 
of  the  immediate  results.  The  establishment  and 
maintenance  of  twenty  schools  in  purely  Mor- 
mon communities,  in  an  unbroken  line  of  four 
hundred  miles  north  and  south,  with  fifteen 
hundred  children  of  Mormon  parentage  thus 
brought  under  gospel  influences  and  the  distribu- 
tion of  thousands  of  copies  of  the  word  of  God, 
where  before  it  was  unknown,  are  part  of  the 
whole  fruits !  '  "What  hath  God  wrought ! '  And 
now  a  score  of  towns  have  caught  a  glimpse  of 
gospel  light.  Our  hymns  of  praise  are  cheering 
the  firesides  of  innumerable  homes.  They  are 
hummed  by  the  busy  housewife  and  by  the  toil- 
ing mother.  Fragments  of  the  refrains  are 
whistled  along  the  streets,  and  are  caught  up  by 
plodding  plowmen.  They  echo  among  the  moun- 
tain forests,  and  are  sung  along  dusty  deserts. 


THE    MORMONS  159 

All  Utah  reverberates  with  songs  of  redeeming 
grace.  God  grant  that  the  words  they  sing 
shall  become  the  sentiments  of  their  hearts! 
"Who  shall  say  that  the  time  and  money  have 
been  misspent  ?  "  What  a  record  to  be  crowded 
into  the  brief  space  of  six  years !  And  yet  but 
the  history  of  thousands  of  our  eflQcient  and 
consecrated  missionaries  the  world  over  of 
whom  the  world  never  knows.  But  He  knows 
and  "  the  Father  that  seeth  in  secret  shall  reward 
in  the  open." 

From  1875  Presbyterian  mission  work  among 
the  Mormons  made  rapid  advancement.  Two 
special  causes  contributed  to  this  result.  The 
first  was  opposition,  which  only  increased  our 
efforts ;  and  the  second  was  the  opening  of  the 
Union  and  Central  Pacific  Kailroads. 

In  1880  our  missionaries  in  Utah  had  increased 
to  ten  ;  in  1881  to  thirteen ;  and  in  1882  to  nine- 
teen. In  this  year  great  progress  was  made  "  in 
winning  the  good  opinion  of  the  young  people." 
The  Mormon  Church  was  now  so  thoroughly 
aroused  and  alarmed  that  it  flooded  Utah  with 
its  representatives  who  were  to  reclaim  and 
stimulate  the  wavering  and  wandering  saints. 
In  1883  our  work  consisted  of  nineteen  ordained 
ministers ;  twelve  organized  churches,  with  a 
membership  of  three  hundred  and  ten ;  thirty- 
three  mission  schools,  with  an  enrollment  of  over 


160  PEESBYTEEIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

two  thousand,  and  fifty-three  teachers,  six  of 
"whom  had  been  educated  in  our  mission  schools. 
In  1886,  there  were  nineteen  missionaries,  seventy 
teachers,  thirty-eight  schools,  over  four  hundred 
church  members,  and  two  thousand  pupils,  three- 
fourths  of  whom  were  Mormon  children.  In 
1887  Salt  Lake  Collegiate  Institute  had  two  hun- 
dred and  ninety-eight  pupils.  In  1890  the  schools 
numbered  thirty,  the  teachers  ninety-nine,  the 
pupils  two  thousand  three  hundred  and  seventy- 
four,  and  the  missionaries  twenty-one.  In  1892 
the  school  work  was  marked  by  "crowded  at- 
tendance and  powerful  revivals."  In  1893,  the 
General  Assembly  divided  the  Synod  of  Mon- 
tana and  organized  the  Synod  of  Utah.  In  this 
year  also  the  synodical  missionary  made  the  fol- 
lowing encouraging  report :  "  The  barriers  of 
bigotry  and  prejudice  are  slowly  yielding  to  the 
contact  of  Christian  life  and  teaching.  This  was 
impressively  illustrated  recently  when  we  were 
invited  to  hold  in  the  Mormon  Temple  the  fun- 
eral services  of  a  beloved  fellow- worker,  who 
had  gone  to  his  rest.  The  service  was  largely 
attended  by  the  Mormon  people.  Every  year 
adds  new  churches  to  our  roll  where  the  mission- 
ary's work  is  bearing  fruit." 

In  1895  we  had  in  Utah  twenty-three  mission- 
aries, thirty  schools,  seventy  teachers,  and  two 
thousand  seven  hundred  pupils.     In  1896  Sheldon 


THE    MORMONS  161 

Jackson  College  was  established  at  Salt  Lake 
City.  In  1900-1901  "  the  excitement  occasioned 
by  the  expulsion  of  B.  H.  Koberts  from  Congress 
greatly  interfered  with  the  work  in  Utah  and 
Idaho.  Yet  many  Mormon  parents  in  spite  of 
the  prohibition  of  the  church  authorities  and 
threats  of  excommunication  should  they  disobey, 
still  persisted  in  sending  their  children  to  our 
schools.  Thus  there  have  been  added  to  the 
young  men  and  young  women,  who  have  gone 
out  in  previous  years  from  these  schools,  a  goodly 
number,  who  have  learned  the  better  way,  and 
who,  let  us  hope  and  pray,  will  in  due  time  be 
brought  to  Christ  and  will  help  in  the  great 
work  of  redeeming  Utah  from  the  curse  of  Mor- 
monism."  Our  present  missionary  force  in  Utah 
consists  of  twenty-one  missionaries,  twenty-five 
churches,  more  than  six  hundred  church  mem- 
bers, twenty-five  Sabbath  schools,  with  an  enroll- 
ment of  fifteen  hundred,  and  a  corps  of  teachers 
numbering  fifty-eight.  From  thirty  to  fifty 
thousand  young  people  have  been  under  the  in- 
fluence of  our  work  and  workers. 

The  school  work  of  Utah  has  been  of  especial 
importance.  The  children  of  Utah  are  our  main 
hope.  The  older  people  cling  to  Mormonism,  or 
if  they  find  it  false  they  drift  into  atheism. 
This  is  one  of  the  sad  results  of  a  false  religion. 
Its  devotees  when  they  find  it  false  usually  take 


102  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

refuge  in  atheism.  Our  school  system  for  Utah 
was  planned  in  1875.  An  academy  was  to  bo 
established  in  each  of  the  important  valleys  and 
to  be  surrounded  by  a  group  of  primary  mission 
schools.  At  the  head  of  the  system  stood  the 
Collegiate  Institute  of  Salt  Lake  City,  which  was 
designed  to  become  a  college,  as  soon  as  sufficient 
endowment  could  be  obtained.  This  part  of  the 
plan  has  been  partially  changed.  Sheldon  Jack- 
son College  at  Salt  Lake  City,  established  in 
1896,  has  become  the  head  of  our  school  system 
in  Utah,  and  Collegiate  Institute  is  now  practic- 
ally "  The  Preparatory  Department  of  Sheldon 
Jackson  College."  Otherwise  these  early  plans 
have  been  materialized,  and  the  school  work 
carried  on  under  the  control  of  the  Woman's 
Board,  has  been  most  efficient  and  successful. 
"  The  Academy  of  New  Jersey  "  was  established 
at  Logan,  and  has  to-day  six  teachers,  twenty- 
four  boarding  pupils  and  one  hundred  and  forty- 
two  day  pupils.  The  Collegiate  Institute  estab- 
lished at  Salt  Lake  City  in  1875,  has  to-day 
seven  teachers,  seventy-eight  boarding  pupils  and 
thirty-six  day  pupils.  Sheldon  Jackson  College 
was  established  at  Salt  Lake  City  in  1896.  It  is 
the  best  known  and  highest  standard  educational 
institution  in  the  Great  Basin.  Ilungerford 
Academy,  at  Springville,  Utah,  has  six  teachers 
and   fifteen    boarding   pupils  and  one  hundred 


THE    MOEMONS  163 

and  eighty-four  day  pupils.  Round  these  centers 
of  educational  training  and  influence  the  primary 
schools  have  been  arranged.  There  are  twenty 
of  these  to-day,  with  an  enrollment  of  one  thou- 
sand and  engaging  the  services  of  about  forty 
teachers. 

But  what  have  been  the  results  of  our  mission- 
ary activities  in  the  stronghold  of  Mormonism  ? 
Considering  the  great  odds  against  which  we 
have  labored  and  the  immense  difficulties  under 
which  the  work  has  been  done  the  results  have 
been  most  gratifying.  The  effort  has  been  quiet, 
persistent  and  determined  and  in  the  providence 
of  God  not  in  vain. 

A  recent  report  of  the  Home  Board  to  the 
General  Assembly  declares  that  the  most  san- 
guine predictions  of  our  work  in  Utah  have  been 
more  than  fulfilled.  "  The  powerful  missionary 
agencies  are  riving  the  stupendous  system  to 
atoms.  Mission  schools  have  led  to  public 
schools.  Preaching  has  resulted  in  hundreds  of 
conversions  and  the  organization  of  many 
churches.  Evangelization  has  resulted  in  civili- 
zation and  the  loyalty  exemplified  and  enforced 
has  enlightened  popular  sentiment  and  made 
possible  the  enforcement  of  wholesome  laws. 
The  Territory  has  become  a  State  ;  the  pledges 
■which  she  gave  and  upon  which  she  was  admitted 
to  the  Union  derive  value  from  the  character  of 


164  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

the  generation  which  have  been  in  training  since 
our  mission  work  began.  Many  of  the  young 
people  who  have  been  reached  by  our  schools 
have  renounced  the  doctrine  of  Mormonism  ;  a 
still  larger  number  have  had  their  faith  shaken 
though  they  have  remained  in  the  Church; 
others  have  come  out  bravely  for  Christ  no 
matter  what  it  has  cost  to  do  so."  Hundreds  of 
girls  who  have  attended  our  schools  have  refused 
to  become  polygamous  wives,  and  the  young 
men  have  asserted  their  independence  of  ecclesi- 
astical authority.  These  young  people  are 
friendly  to  Christianity.  They  have  learned  that 
there  is  a  better  way  than  Mormonism,  socially, 
politically,  and  religiously,  and  a  little  persistent 
effort  will  lead  them  to  accept  that  way.  But 
let  us  not  be  lulled  to  sleep  by  visions  of  what 
has  already  been  done.  That  work,  though  so 
great,  has  largely  been  but  a  preparatory  skir- 
mish before  the  real  battle.  The  conflict  is  still 
on  and  it  must  be  continued  until  all  the  children 
and  young  people  of  Utah  have  been  won  to  the 
pure  and  saving  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Utah  appeals  with  peculiar  pathos  to  all  inter- 
ested in  Christian  missions.  It  is  an  ideal  mission 
field.  The  people  are  there  by  the  thousands. 
They  are  in  ignorance,  in  superstition,  and  in 
irreligion.  They  are  easily  accessible  in  great 
numbers.     No  new  tongue  must  be  learned  to 


THE    MORMONS  165 

preach  the  gospel  to  them.  Their  own  best  in- 
terests as  well  as  those  of  our  homes,  of  society, 
of  our  land,  and  of  our  Church,  demand  their 
reclaim  from  the  degrading  superstitions  of  Mor- 
monism.  Can  we  resist  such  an  appeal?  Let 
us  not  even  try ;  but  rather  in  the  spirit  of  the 
Master  let  us  be  willing  to  spend  and  be  spent  in 
winning  the  souls  of  these  deluded  thousands  to 
his  cross  and  his  crown. 


Wv  li.  r.  -r  w 


TYPICAL    MOUNTAINEERS 


YI 

THE  MOUNTAINEERS 


CHAPTER  YI 

THE    MOUNTAINEERS 

The  southwestern  part  of  the  Appalachian 
Mountain  system  is  inhabited  by  one  of  the  most 
interesting  and  important  of  the  exceptional  popu- 
lations of  the  United  States.  President  Roose- 
velt, in  "  The  Winning  of  the  "West "  calls  their 
ancestors  "  back- woodsmen  of  the  AUeghanies." 
Secretary  Thompson  denominates  them  "  Our 
Highlanders,"  and  by  a  distinguished  Southerner, 
Editor  WalterH.  Page,  of  the  Atlantic  Monthly, 
the  inhabitant  of  this  region  has  been  called 
"  The  Forgotten  Man."  But  the  most  common 
name  for  this  class  in  missionary  circles  is  that 
of  Mountaineers  or  the  Mountain  people  of  the 
South. 

The  territory  occupied  by  the  mountaineers 
lies  principally  in  the  States  of  North  Carolina, 
Tennessee,  Kentucky,  and  "West  Virginia.  The 
entire  region  has  been  estimated  to  be  five  hun- 
dred miles  long  and  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
wide.  It  includes  many  counties  and  by  the 
census  of  1900  had  a  population  of  two  million, 

169 


170  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

six  hundred  and  fifty-seven  thousand,  four  hun- 
dred and  ninety-seven. 

,  Two  distinct  and  separate  classes  of  people 
occupy  this  district.  First  there  is  the  "  valley 
folk  " — an  intelligent,  cultivated  class,  living  on 
fertile  farms  along  the  river  banks  or  beside  rail- 
road tracks  and  possessing  the  comforts  and  ad- 
vantages of  civilization.  In  the  second  place 
there  is  the  true  mountaineer  with  whom  the 
missionary  has  to  do.  He  lives  in  his  cabin  home 
remote  from  the  village  and  back  in  the  trough- 
like valleys  and  upon  the  mountain  sides.  With 
great  difficulty  he  makes  a  livelihood  by  the  prac- 
tice of  rude  agriculture  and  by  hunting.  The 
population  of  this  class  is  about  two  millions. 

The  industrial,  educational,  moral  and  religious 
character  and  condition  of  these  two  millions  of 
mountaineers  is  pathetic  and  appealing. 

Their  chief  industrial  occupation  is  farming, 
but  it  is  carried  on  in  the  crudest  and  simplest 
fashion.  Their  farming  implements,  such  as 
wooden  plows,  and  their  road  vehicles — the  ox- 
cart being  the  principal  one, — are  at  least  three- 
quarters  of  a  century  behind  our  age.  As  is  cus- 
tomary among  uncivilized  people,  the  women 
and  children  do  the  bulk  of  the  work.  The  women 
not  only  perform  the  simple  domestic  duties, 
such  as  spinning  wool  and  making  the  clothes 
for  the  family,  but  also  do  more  than  their  share 


THE  MOUNTAINEEES  lYl 

of  "  clarin' "  land.  This  means  that  they  chop 
down  trees,  burn  stumps,  and  throw  off  the  stones, 
that  the  land  may  be  thus  prepared  for  cultiva- 
tion. This  labor  on  the  part  of  the  women  is  a 
necessary  result  of  the  shiftlessness  and  laziness 
of  the  mountaineer  men.  Laziness  and  shiftless- 
ness are  characteristic  of  the  men.  They  live 
from  day  to  day  and  literally  practice  the 
scriptural  injunction,  "  Take  no  thought  for  the 
morrow."  Even  wood  is  seldom  prepared  for  the 
winter's  cold ;  and  when  the  thermometer  falls 
to  zero,  as  it  often  does,  the  children  are  com- 
pelled to  go  out  in  the  cold  to  gather  wood  to 
keep  a  blazing  fire  on  the  hearth. 

The  humbleness  of  their  method  of  living  is 
pathetic.  It  shows  evidences  of  great  poverty, 
the  inevitable  accompaniment  of  laziness  and 
shiftlessness.  Extreme  poverty  is  everywhere 
manifest.  Their  houses  are  usually  log  cabins, 
containing  but  one  room,  about  fifteen  by  twenty 
feet.  Here  live  the  entire  family, — parents,  chil- 
dren, and  ofttimes  grandparents.  The  family 
very  often  numbers  from  six  to  eight  persons, 
and  in  this  one  room  all  visitors  must  be  enter- 
tained. Eating,  sleeping,  working,  and  enter- 
taining, are  limited  to  this  one  apartment,  having 
no  windows  and  but  one  door.  The  principal 
kitchen  utensils  are  an  iron  stew-pot  and  tea- 
kettle and  some  coarse  crockery.     The  furniture 


172  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

consists  mainly  of  a  table,  a  few  rude  chairs,  and 
mattresses.  The  men  dress  in  border  costume 
— slouch  hat,  homespun  shirt,  and  trousers  of 
home-made  jeans,  leather  strop  belt,  and  large 
coarse  boots.  Corduroys,  if  possessed,  are  worn 
on  Sundays.  The  women  wear  cheap  print 
dresses  and  sunbonnets.  The  children  are  but 
half  clothed  and  poorly  fed.  Sometimes  they 
are  seven  or  eight  years  of  age  before  they  ever 
have  shoes ;  and  yet,  in  bare  feet,  over  cold 
rough  ground,  they  will  make  their  way  to  the 
schools,  being  kept  away  only  by  the  deep  snows. 

Educational  facilities  have  been  most  meager. 
In  a  school  population  of  three  hundred  thousand 
about  three  thousand  have  had  the  simplest  ad- 
vantages. State  schools  that  have  been  estab- 
lished have  been  poorly  equipped  and  have  been 
open  but  a  few  months  in  the  year. 

Keligious  opportunities  have  been  on  a  par 
with  educational  ones.  Their  ministers  have 
been  unlearned,  ignorant,  and  ofttimes  immoral. 
"  Kantin'  an'  rarin' "  instead  of  preaching  have 
been  their  main  characteristics. 

Such  conditions  could  not  but  produce  illiteracy 
and  immorality  and  they  are  widespread.  Ig- 
norance is  almost  universal  and  immorality  but 
little  less  limited.  Some  forms  of  sin  they  hold 
in  contempt,  such  as  highway  robbery,  the  mur- 
der of  a  traveler,  or  falsity  to  an  oath.     But  to 


THE  MOUNTAIlSrEERS  1Y3 

rob  the  Government  of  revenue  is  considered 
shrewd  and  legitimate  and  the  killing  of  a 
revenue  officer  a  laudible  act  of  courage.  The 
mountaineer  also  palliates  revenge,  and  murder 
is  frequently  committed  in  revenge  and  retali- 
ation. Purity  is  sadly  wanting.  The  marriage 
tie  is  lightly  esteemed.  Illegitimate  children  ex- 
ist in  large  numbers  nor  are  they  considered 
especially  disgraceful. 

But  with  all  his  debasing  qualities  the  moun- 
taineer has  some  redeeming  traits  of  character. 
He  has  a  deep  reverence  for  the  Bible  though 
he  does  not  practice  its  precepts.  He  has 
an  appreciation  of  the  value  of  an  education  and 
no  children  surpass  his  in  their  willingness  to  en- 
dure any  hardships  that  they  may  be  educated. 
And  deep  down  in  his  being  is  the  slumbering 
flame  of  a  former  sturdy  moral  character  that 
with  proper  care  and  nourishment  will  produce 
most  gratifying  results  in  an  inconceivably  short 
space  of  time. 

But  who  are  these  mountain  people  of  the 
South  ?  Who  were  their  ancestors,  and  whence 
and  how  came  they  to  their  mountain  homes  ? 
All  who  have  asked  this  question  and  have  in- 
vestigated the  subject  have  arrived  at  a  com- 
mon conclusion,  namely,  that  these  mountaineers 
are  the  descendants  of  a  Scotch-Irish  Presby- 
terian ancestry.    This  is  the  position  of  President 


174  PEESBYTERIAN  UOME  MISSIONS 

Eoosevelt  in  "The  "Winning  of  the  West."  It  is 
the  deliberate  verdict  of  the  Scotch-Irish  Society 
of  America  after  thorough  investigation.  It  is 
the  universal  conclusion  of  those  who  visit  this 
people  and  make  a  study  of  their  traits  and  char- 
acters. What  Thomas  Guthrie  said  of  the  peo- 
ple of  the  north  of  Ireland  may  be  said  of  this 
people :  "  They  have  Scotch  faces,  Scotch  names, 
Scotch  affections,  and  more  than  Scotch  kind- 
^ness."  They  still  retain  though  in  faded  form 
many  of  the  ancient  customs  and  superstitions  of 
their  ancestors  and  there  still  abides  deep  down 
in  their  natures  the  Scotch  Presbyterian  love  of 
learning,  faith  in  God,  reverence  for  his  Avord, 
strong  moral  fiber,  and  aspirations  for  nobler  and 
better  things. 

A  brief  glance  at  the  history,  character,  and 
achievements,  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  region 
will  emphasize  this  fact  and  deepen  our  interest 
in  the  degraded  descendants  of  a  worthy  and 
noble  ancestry. 

In  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  the  efforts  of 
Spain  to  subjugate  England  led  to  rebellions  in 
Catholic  Ireland.  The  result  in  the  reign  of 
James  I  was  the  confiscation  of  the  land  of  Irish 
noblemen,  particularly  in  the  north  of  Ireland, 
and  in  the  western  counties. 

This  land  was  populated  by  the  English  and 
Scotch,  but  especially  by  the  latter,  which  re- 


THE   MOUNTAINEERS  175 

suited  in  their  being  called  Scotch-Irish.  They 
were  of  course  Presbyterians.  In  the  reign  of 
Queen  Anne  these  Presbyterian  Scotch-Irish 
were  persecuted.  In  1Y04  the  test  oath  was  im- 
posed. Every  one  in  public  life  had  to  subscribe 
to  English  prelacy.  As  a  result  the  previously 
limited  emigrations  to  America  were  greatly  in- 
creased. The  historian  Froude  says,  "In  the 
two  years,  which  followed  the  Antrim  elections, 
thirty  thousand  left  Ulster  for  a  land,  where 
there  was  no  legal  robbery,  and  where  those  who 
sowed  the  seed  could  reap  the  harvest."  The 
Government  became  alarmed  and  passed  the 
Toleration  Act,  which  checked  emigration  for  a 
time.  But  in  1728  it  began  anew,  and  from  1729 
to  1750  "  about  twelve  thousand  came  annually 
from  Ulster  to  America."  These  emigrants  were 
Presb3^terians.  They  were  strict  in  doctrine,  in 
discipline,  in  morals,  and  claimed  the  right  to 
elect  their  own  ministers. 

Two  principal  sections  were  settled  by  these 
emigrants  from  Ireland — eastern  and  western 
Pennsylvania,  and  the  mountain  regions  of  Yir- 
ginia  and  the  Carolinas.  In  1738  arrangements 
were  made  with  the  governor  of  Yirginia,  by 
which  they  could  settle  the  valleys  of  the  Blue 
Eidge  Mountains,  and  enjoy  the  privileges 
granted  under  the  Toleration  Act.  This  greatly 
increased  the  Virginia  contingent. 


A 


176  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

From  Yirginia,  these  early  settlers  pushed  on 
into  Tennessee  and  Kentucky,  The  western 
Pennsylvania  element  extended  itself  down  the 
Ohio  River  into  western  Virginia  and  Kentucky 
and  the  two  streams  were  united  again  in  the 
mountain  regions  of  these  states. 

The  characteristics  and  achievements  of  these 
ancestors  of  the  people  in  whom  we  are  interested 
are  also  worthy  our  notice. 

Their  hardiness  and  indomitable  courage  are 
proven  by  the  fact  that  they  pushed  past  the 
settlements,  undaunted  by  the  vast  forests,  the 
absence  of  civilization  and  the  presence  of  deadly 
Indian  foes.  "  They  were  the  first  and  last  set 
of  emigrants,"  says  President  Roosevelt,  "  to  do 
this.  All  others  merely  followed  in  the  wake  of 
their  predecessors.  But  indeed  they  were  fitted 
from  the  very  start  to  be  Americans ;  they  were 
kinsfolk  of  the  Covenanters;  they  deemed  it  a 
religious  duty  to  interpret  their  own  Bible,  and 
held  for  a  divine  right  the  election  of  their  clergy. 
For  generations  their  whole  ecclesiastic  and 
scholastic  systems  had  been  fundamentally  demo- 
cratic. In  the  hard  life  of  the  frontier  they  lost 
much  of  their  religion  and  they  had  but  scant 
opportunities  to  give  their  children  the  schooling 
in  which  they  believed,  but  what  few  school- 
houses  and  meetinghouses  there  were  on  the 
frontiers   were  theirs.     The  creed  of  the  back- 


THE  MOUNTAINEERS  17Y 

woodsmen,  who  had  a  creed  at  all,  was  Presby- 
terian ;  for  the  Episcopacy  of  the  tide  water 
lands  obtained  no  fast  hold  in  the  mountains  to 
the  ISTorth,  and  the  Baptists  had  just  begun  to 
appear  in  the  West  when  the  Kevolution  broke 
out." 

Life  in  these  southern  mountains  was  very 
crude  and  simple.  In  the  broad,  open  valleys 
the  evidences  of  prosperity  and  plenty  were  soon 
manifested ;  but  back  in  the  mountains,  where 
are  to-day  the  people  with  whom  we  have  to  do, 
such  was  not  the  case.  No  towns  or  cities,  with 
their  accompanying  comforts  and  advantages, 
were  built.  The  heads  of  a  few  families  selected 
an  immense  tract  of  land,  and  settled  upon  it. 
As  the  sons  grew  up  and  married,  farms  were 
parceled  out  to  them ;  so  that  it  is  not  an  un- 
common thing  to-day  for  the  inhabitants  of  an 
entire  neighborhood  to  bear  the  same  name. 
Marriage  took  place  at  an  early  age,  and  fami- 
lies were  usually  very  large.  "  There  was  every- 
where great  equality  of  conditions.  Land  was 
plenty,  and  all  else  was  scarce ;  so  courage  and 
thrift  and  industry  were  sure  of  their  reward." 

Hunting  as  well  as  farming  was  a  necessary 
occupation  of  the  mountain  men.  Ability  to  use 
the  rifle  was  not  only  necessary  as  a  means  of 
livelihood,  but  also  as  a  protection  against  the 
Indians ;   and  in  these  regions  were  developed 


178  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

some  of  the  greatest  Indian  fighters  in  our  history. 
Their  weapon  was  "the  long  flint-lock  rifle, 
clumsy  and  ill-balanced,  but  exceedingly  accu- 
rate." 

Being  Presbyterians,  these  mountaineers  be- 
lieved in  education,  and  desired  it  for  their  chil- 
dren. But  the  difiiculties  in  the  way  were  very 
great  and  schools  were  therefore  very  rare 
Deserted  huts  were  used  for  schoolhouses  and 
the  schoolmaster  "  boarded  round."  The  three 
R's — reading,  'riting  and  'rithmetic — in  their 
simplest  forms,  composed  the  sum  total  of  the 
educational  curriculum. 

Religion,  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  say,  was  a 
constituent  element  of  this  hardy  race  of  moun- 
taineers. "  They  were  deeply  religious  in  their 
tendencies,  and  although  ministers  and  meeting- 
houses were  rare,  yet  the  backwoods  cabins  often 
contained  Bibles  and  the  mothers  used  to  instill 
into  the  minds  of  their  children  reverence  for 
the  Sabbath  day,  while  many  of  the  hunters  re- 
fused to  hunt  on  that  day.  Those  of  them  Avho 
knew  the  right,  honestly  tried  to  live  up  to  it,  in 
spite  of  the  manifold  temptations  to  backsliding, 
afforded  by  their  lives  of  hard  and  fierce  con- 
tention." 

Life  in  the  mountains  was  rough  and  simple, 
yet  it  was  not  ineffective  in  producing  stern  and 
strenuous  characters,  who  have  had  a  prodigious 


THE  MOUNTAINEERS  1Y9 

influence  upon  our  national  history.  At  the 
head  of  this  list  stand  Presidents  Andrew  Jack- 
son and  Abraham  Lincoln,  both  sons  of  the 
mountain  regions. 

In  the  two  great  crises  of  our  national  history 
these  strong  and  stalwart  mountaineers  have 
played  no  mean  part.  They  were  conspicuous 
for  their  influence  and  loyalty  in  the  American 
Kevolution.  They  came  to  America  as  a  result 
of  English  tyranny  and  injustice,  and  when  the 
opportunity  came  to  drive  England  from  their 
adopted  home,  they  were  not  slow  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  it.  The  Mecklenburg  Declaration 
of  Independence,  which  preceded  that  of  the 
National  Declaration  by  more  than  a  year  was 
the  work  of  Scotch- Irish  Presbyterians,  and  from 
that  day  till  the  close  of  the  Eevolutionary  "War, 
they  loyally  offered  and  often  gave  life  and  all 
to  the  patriots'  cause. 

In  the  Civil  War  their  descendants  took  a  con- 
spicuous part.  These  sons  of  a  sturdy  ancestry 
were  providentially  located  for  that  great  strug- 
gle. They  lived  in  the  border  states.  Their 
numbers  were  great ;  they  were  strong  in  body, 
efficient  in  the  use  of  firearms,  and  loyal  to  the 
backbone.  They  kept  Kentucky  out  of  the  Con- 
federacy and  carved  from  the  Old  Dominion  the 
new  and  loyal  State  of  West  Virginia.  Their  in- 
fluence in  determining  the  final  result  of  the  war 


180  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

cannot  be  estimated.  The  indebtedness  of  our 
nation  therefore  to  this  hardy  stock  of  Presby- 
terians is  easily  recognized  to  be  very  great. 
"  Full  credit,"  says  the  President,  "  has  been 
awarded  the  Koundhead  and  the  Cavalier  for 
their  leadership  in  our  history ;  nor  have  we 
been  altogether  blind  to  the  deeds  of  the  Hol- 
lander and  Huguenot — but  it  is  doubtful  if  we 
have  fully  realized  the  importance  of  the  part 
played  by  that  stern  and  virile  people  whose 
preachers  taught  the  creed  of  Knox  and  Calvin." 

But  if  the  ancestry  of  the  mountaineers  be 
these  Scotch-Irish  Presbyterians,  how  can  we  ac- 
count for  the  low  and  degraded  condition  of 
their  descendants  to-day  ?  At  first  glance  it 
seems  impossible  that  these  godless,  shiftless, 
illiterate  people  could  have  had  such  a  noble  an- 
cestry ;  and  yet  it  is  true.  And  in  this  sad  de- 
generacy we  see  a  striking  illustration  of  the 
consequences  of  the  absence  of  the  enlightening 
influences  of  religion. 

The  causes  of  this  degeneracy  are  as  apparent 
as  the  fact.  The  two  principal  factors  in  the 
production  of  these  sad  results  were  the  Eevolu- 
tionary  War  and  slavery.  The  first  movement 
to  the  undesirable  parts  of  the  mountains  was 
the  result  of  the  Eevolutionary  War.  These 
Scotch-Irish  Presbyterian  patriots  suffered  many 
losses  from  the  British  army  and  from  the  Tories. 


THE  MOUNTAINEERS  181 

They  were  reduced  to  sore  straits ;  to  secure  even 
a  livelihood  was  a  difficult  task.  The  younger 
and  more  vigorous  men  pushed  on  to  the  newer 
and  better  districts,  but  the  older  people  encum- 
bered with  the  children  were  driven  farther  back 
into  the  mountains  and  compelled  to  live  by  rude  ^^  ^ 
farming  and  by  hunting.  Slavery  completed  'Y 
what  the  losses  of  the  war  began.  The  moun- 
taineers were  conscientiously  opposed  to  holding 
slaves  and  were  deprived  of  all  industrial  means 
of  subsistence  because  of  the  presence  of  slaves. 
The  slave  became  the  planter's  blacksmith,  car- 
penter, and  man-of-all-work,  and  the  working 
white  man  thereby  lost  all  .opportunity  to  make 
a  living  in  this  way.  The  invention  of  the  cotton 
gin  in  1792  increased  the  value  of  the  slave  and 
decreased  the  opportunity  of  the  white  workman. 
He  soon  lost  all  he  owned  and  was  pushed  back, 
with  those  who  had  gone  before,  into  the  moun- 
tains. Churches,  schools,  books,  and  industrial 
opportunities,  were  practically  wanting  amid 
these  new  surroundings.  Early  marriages  and 
large  families  became  the  custom.  Each  suc- 
ceeding generation  was  more  illiterate  than  the 
preceding  ones.  Idleness  prevailed  ;  hunting  be- 
came a  vitiating  pastime ;  civilizing  influences 
were  absent ;  schools  were  wanting,  and  the 
educated  minister  became  impossible.  The  fin- 
ished products  of  such  conditions  are  the  pov- 


182  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

erty,  illiterac}'',  and  immorality,  that  exist  to- 
day, and  it  was  this  condition  that  invited  mis- 
sionary effort  and  makes  it  such  an  imperative 
necessity, 

Presbyterian  missionary  work  among  the 
mountain  people  of  the  South  was  begun  in 
"1879. 

The  first  mission  school  was  "White  Hall  Semi- 
nary. It  was  established  near  Concord,  North 
Carolina,  and  Miss  Frances  E.  Ufford  was  the 
first  teacher. 

From  that  beginning  the  work  has  grown  until 
it  extends  over  the  mountain  regions  of  the  four 
States  of  North  Carolina,  Tennessee,  Kentucky, 
and  West  Virginia.  There  are  to-day,  as  a  result 
of  the  Home  Board's  work,  thirty-one  churches, 
one  thousand  three  hundred  and  seventy-eight 
church  members,  seventy-six  Sabbath  schools,  six 
thousand  one  hundred  and  seventy-two  Sabbath- 
school  scholars,  thirty-seven  mission  schools,  one 
hundred  and  eight  mission  school-teachers,  three 
thousand  pupils,  twenty -one  ministers  and  sixteen 
Bible  readers. 

The  principal  agencies  in  advancing  missions 
have  been  churches,  mission  schools,  Sabbath 
schools  and  Bible  readers. 

The  churches,  with  attendant  ministers,  have 
been  established  as  rapidly  as  the  means  would 
allow.     The  method  pursued  has  been  to  select 


THE  MOUNTAINEERS  183 

and  occupy  a  strategic  center  and  from  this  to 
branch  out  in  all  directions  and  to  send  out  an 
ever  widening  circle  of  influence.  At  Marshall, 
the  county  seat  of  Madison  County,  North  Caro- 
lina, there  is  a  fine  church  and  manse,  an  academy 
and  a  Teachers'  Home.  At  Burnville,  the  county 
seat  of  Yancey  County,  there  is  a  vigorous  church 
organization  and  McCormick  Academy.  At  Hot 
Springs,  the  famous  health  resort,  there  is  the 
handsomest  church  in  western  North  Carolina, 
and  Dorland  Institute  with  its  beautiful  dormi- 
tory and  its  large  reception  hall.  The  influence  of 
these  religious  and  educational  centers  cannot  be 
estimated.  They  touch  and  benefit  the  country 
for  twenty  miles  round  and  are  an  inspiration  to 
entire  communities. 

The  importance  of  Christian  schools  in  such  a 
district,  so  long  deprived  of  educational  facilities 
and  so  poorly  provided  for  by  the  State  is  at  once 
apparent.  The  Presbyterian  Church  realized  this 
phase  of  the  situation  and  at  the  beginning  of  its 
missionary  work  in  the  mountains  inaugurated  a 
school  system  that  was  admirable  in  conception 
and  has  been  eminently  successful  in  operation. 
Primary  or  common  schools  were  planted  back 
in  the  mountains,  in  the  wildest  regions,  and 
devoted  teachers  secured.  Next  above  these  and 
located  at  strategic  points  and  in  relation  to 
primary  schools,  came  the  academy  and  board- 


184  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME  MISSIONS 

ing  schools,  having  both  an  academic  and  an 
industrial  character.  These  having  been  estab- 
lished the  importance  of  teachers,  born  and  raised 
on  the  field,  became  apparent.  The  outcome  was 
the  normal  school  for  the  education  and  training 
of  teachers,  which  stands  at  the  head  of  our  edu- 
cational system.  These  three  grades  of  schools, 
the  primary,  industrial,  and  normal,  have  been 
developed  with  remarkable  success  and  pro- 
nounced results. 

The  primar}'^  or  day  schools  are  of  course  the 
largest  in  number.  There  are  about  thirty  of 
these  schools,  intelligently  arranged  throughout 
the  mountain  regions.  The  necessity  of  such 
schools  lies  in  the  fact  that  the  public  school 
system  is  little  developed  and  very  deficient  in 
facilities  in  most  of  these  regions.  North  Caro- 
lina, for  instance,  spends  less  money  per  pupil, 
than  any  other  State  in  the  Union,  except  South 
Carolina.  The  average  sum  paid,  for  all  pur- 
poses, state,  county  and  local  schools,  is  three 
dollars  and  forty  cents  per  pupil ;  in  Georgia  it 
is  six  dollars  and  fifty  cents ;  in  Virginia  nine 
dollars ;  in  Indiana  twenty  dollars ;  in  Michigan 
twenty  dollars  ;  in  Wisconsin  twenty-one  dollars ; 
in  Minnesota  thirty  dollars,  and  in  North  Dakota 
thirty-three  dollars  and  fifty  cents.  Nor  do 
many  of  the  mountain  districts  receive  even  the 
average   amount  paid  for  educational  purposes. 


THE  MOUNTAINEERS  185 

In  1891  one  community  which  numbered  eighty 
or  more  children  of  school  age  had  never  had  a 
public  school.  Until  1895  another  district  with 
forty-seven,  children  of  school  age  had  never  had 
a  school.  Then  a  log  hut  Avas  built  and  since 
that  time  six  weeks  of  school  have  been  annually 
provided.  The  amount  of  money  granted  the 
school  was  thirty-eight  dollars  per  year  !  While 
these  are  not  representative  cases,  on  the  other 
hand  they  are  not  exceptional.  There  are  many 
such  districts  throughout  the  mountains.  The  es- 
tablishment of  our  day  schools,  even  where  there 
are  public  schools  in  session  for  a  short  period  of 
the  year,  is  beneficial.  They  supplement  the 
work  of  the  public  schools  and  emphasize  the  im- 
portance of  education  to  the  people. 

The  method  of  establishing  and  of  carry- 
ing on  the  day-school  work  is  very  interesting. 
Into  one  of  these  destitute  and  needy  mountain 
valleys  two  or  three  consecrated,  self-denying 
women  are  sent.  It  being  impossible  for  them 
to  live  with  the  people  lest  they  die  of  "  lone- 
someness  or  dyspepsia "  a  plain,  neat  cottage  is 
built  and  becomes  the  "  Teachers'  Home."  This 
home  is  the  teachers'  refuge,  a  model  in  house- 
keeping to  the  women  of  the  neighborhood,  and 
a  center  of  kindly  influence.  One  of  the  teachers 
is  the  general  superintendent ;  she  cares  for  the 
home  and  supervises  the  school.     She  is  "the 


186  PRESBYTERIAlSr   HOME  MISSIONS 

woman  who  runs  things,"  and  is  called  by  hei* 
neighbors  "  the  busiest  human  on  the  creek."  In 
addition  to  her  home  and  school  duties,  she 
visits  the  homes  of  the  people,  talks  to  and  prays 
with  the  sick  and  aged,  reads  the  Scriptures,  and 
is  a  benediction  to  the  neighborhood. 

The  day  school  is  started  as  soon  as  possible 
after  the  teachers'  arrival.  At  first  teaching  is  a 
difficult  task  as  no  preliminary  foundation  has 
been  laid.  But  time  works  wonders.  The  little 
minds  develop  rapidly.  The  parents  become  in- 
terested. They  visit  the  schools  on  special  oc- 
casions such  as  Christmas  and  Washington's 
Birthday.  A  meeting  for  mothers  is  held  once  a 
week.  They  sew,  listen  to  Bible  readings,  and 
do  shopping,  for  the  missionaries  have  ready- 
made  garments  and  good  stout  material  to  sell 
at  low  prices.  The  women  are  given  knitting, 
spinning,  and  weaving,  to  do,  and  the  money  thus 
earned  helps  to  supply  the  children  with  clothes. 
Mission  circles,  girls'  sewing  circles,  boys'  carv- 
ing classes,  are  organized,  and  time  given  to 
social  parties  and  games  of  amusement.  A 
Sabbath  school  is  immediately  organized  in  con- 
nection with  the  day  school;  informal  religious 
meetings  are  held ;  a  minister  makes  an  occa- 
sional visit.  Presbyterian  ministers  are  much 
preferred  although  they  are  so  different  from  the 
exciting  exhorters  of  the  "  big  meetin's."     "  He 


THE  MOUNTAINEERS  187 

don't  rant  none,  and  ho  don't  rave  none  and  he 
don't  rare  none ;  he  just  says  it  out  plain,  so  that 
the  young  people  can  understand."  As  time 
goes  on  and  the  work  develops  the  minister 
comes  more  frequently,  the  nucleus  of  a  church 
is  gathered  together  and  at  last  the  church 
itself  becomes  the  finished  work  of  the  day 
school. 

The  industrial  and  boarding  schools  are  next 
in  rank  above  the  day  schools.  There  is  neces- 
sarily an  intimate  relation  between  the  indus- 
trial and  the  day  schools.  The  day  schools  are 
the  nurseries  of  the  boarding  schools.  From 
them  the  best  prepared  and  worthiest  scholars 
are  advanced  to  the  boarding  school,  thus  offer- 
ing an  inspiring  motive  for  faithful  study,  as  the 
scholarship  in  the  advanced  school  is  greatly 
prized.  From  the  boarding  school,  assistant 
teachers  are  sent  back  to  the  day  schools  and 
thus  they  become  mutually  beneficial.  In  the 
industrial  schools  the  girls  are  taught  the  domes- 
tic arts,  means  of  making  a  livelihood,  and  the 
boys  the  trades  and  industries  that  will  fit  them 
for  the  actual  duties  of  life. 

The  principal  schools  of  this  character  among 
the  mountaineers  are,  "The  Home  Industrial 
School,"  for  girls,  at  Asheville,  North  Carolina ; 
"  The  Asheville  Farm  School,"  for  boys  ;  "  Dor- 
land  Institute,"  for  girls,  and  "  The  Boys'  Home," 


188  PRESBYTERIAN"   HOME   MISSIONS 

both  at  Hot  Springs,  North  Carolina,  and  "  Laura 
Sunderland  School,"  near  Concord,  North  Caro- 
lina. 

The  Home  Industrial  School  at  Asheville  was 
organized  as  a  result  of  a  visit  of  Eev.  L.  M. 
Pease  and  his  wife  to  Asheville,  for  their  health 
which  had  been  impaired  by  missionary  labors 
at  The  Five  Points  in  New  York.  While  at 
Asheville  they  became  interested  in  the  moun- 
tain girls  and  expressed  to  the  Kev.  Thomas 
Lawrence,  D.  D.,  a  willingness  to  deed  their 
property — a  beautiful  farm  of  thirty-three  acres 
and  a  large  furnished  boarding  house  near  Ashe- 
ville, to  an  organization  that  would  support  a 
school  for  girls.  When  the  Presbyterian  Board 
was  looking  for  a  site  for  a  school  Dr„  Lawrence 
informed  them  of  Mr.  Pease's  desire.  He  was 
communicated  with,  the  transfer  was  made,  and 
a  school  arranged  for.  Miss  Florence  Stephenson 
of  Butler,  Pennsylvania,  was  appointed  principal, 
which  position  she  has  filled  with  marked  effi- 
ciency and  which  she  still  holds.  Miss  Frances 
E.  Ufford  of  Bloomfield,  New  Jersey,  and  Miss 
Isabel  Ingersoll  of  St.  Paul,  Minnesota, — the  lat- 
ter giving  her  services  without  payment — were 
appointed  assistants.  The  school  was  opened 
October  4,  187Y.  In  a  few  weeks  it  had  seventy 
boarding  scholars  and  forty  day  scholars — its  ut- 
most capacity.     The  present  capacity  is  over  one 


THE  MOUNTAINEERS  189 

hundred.  It  is  always  filled  and  hundreds  of  ap- 
plications are  necessarily  refused.  The  curriculum 
of  the  school  embraces  a  course  of  six  years  be- 
ginning with  the  first  primary  grade.  The  higher 
branches  are  not  taught  but  many  are  sufficiently 
educated  to  become  teachers.  The  Scriptures 
are  read  and  studied  daily.  Housework,  cook- 
ing, plain  sewing,  dressmaking,  and  in  some  cases 
fancy  work  and  embroidery,  are  taught.  One 
quarter  of  the  expense  is  met  by  the  pupils,  the 
balance  is  provided  by  means  of  scholarships 
which  are  seventy-five  dollars  per  annum,  and 
the  teachers'  salaries  supplied  by  missionary 
societies  and  individuals.  The  money  is  paid 
through  the  treasurer  to  the  Women's  Execu- 
tive Committee,  156  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York. 
There  are  now  eight  teachers,  one  hundred  and 
forty  boarding  and  three  day  scholars,  in  the 
Home  Industrial  School. 

The  Asheville  Farm  School  for  Boys  was  an 
necessary  outcome  of  the  Home  Industrial  School 
for  Girls.  The  education  of  the  girls  would 
have  been  largely  impaired,  had  their  brothers 
and  future  husbands  been  kept  in  ignorance. 
This  school  is  located  seven  miles  from  Asheville 
on  a  farm  containing  four  hundred  acres,  upon 
which  have  been  erected  the  required  buildings. 
The  course  of  study  includes  the  common  Eng- 
lish branches  and  special  instruction  is  given  in 


190  PRESBYTERIAN   nOME  MISSIONS 

agriculture  and  the  ordinary  trades.  A  portion 
of  each  day  is  spent  in  the  schoolroom  and  the 
remainder  on  the  farm  or  in  the  shop.  Students 
are  trained  in  the  care  of  the  dairy  and  of  stocks, 
farming,  drawing,  roadmaking,  and  forestry,  in 
the  cultivation  of  flowers,  fruits,  and  garden 
vegetables,  in  ordinary  carpentry,  painting,  re- 
pairing of  harness,  wagons,  and  farm  implements, 
and  other  industries.  Religious  and  Bible  studies 
are  maintained  daily.  Farm  products  and  vege- 
tables are  raised  for  the  girls'  school  and  also 
sold  in  the  markets  of  Asheville.  The  school  is 
supported  by  the  boys,  by  scholarships  of  seventy- 
five  dollars  each,  by  societies,  by  individual  gifts, 
and  the  Woman's  Board  of  ISTew  York.  The 
latest  reports  show  the  presence  of  thirteen 
teachers,  one  hundred  and  forty-three  boarding 
pupils,  and  five  day  pupils,  a  total  of  one  hun- 
dred and  forty-eight  pupils. 

Borland  Institute  is  located  at  the  noted 
health  resort,  Hot  Springs.  The  Springs  were 
visited  in  1877  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Dor- 
land.  They  had  labored  for  twenty  years  among 
the  Freedmen  and  had  organized  churches  and 
schools  and  had  founded  Scotia  Seminary.  To 
recover  their  health  was  the  object  of  their  visit 
to  Hot  Springs,  but  the  low  and  degraded  condi- 
tion of  the  mountaineers  appealed  to  them. 
Visitors  urged  them  to  start  a  school  for  girls. 


THE   MOUNTAINEERS  191 

They  did  so  in  1879.  Sixty  pupils  were  received 
and  an  industrial  department  was  soon  added 
and  the  girls  were  taught  dressmaking.  In  1882 
eighty  pupils  were  enrolled  and  a  year  later  one 
hundred.  The  work  was  taken  under  the  care 
of  the  Home  Board.  Money  was  raised  for  the 
purchase  of  property  near  the  center  of  the 
village.  A  boarding  hall  and  chapel  school 
building  have  been  erected.  The  expense  of  a 
boarding  pupil  for  a  term  of  eight  months  is  but 
fifty  dollars.  The  girls  do  the  work  of  the  home 
and  thus  both  assist  in  the  school's  support  and 
fit  themselves  for  future  usefulness.  This  insti- 
tution is  now  under  the  efficient  management  of 
Miss  Julia  E.  Phillips. 

The  Laura  Sunderland  school  is  located  near 
Concord,  Korth  Carolina.  In  June,  18Y9,  the 
Woman's  Board  organized  a  day  school  in  a  small 
log  house  three  miles  from  Concord.  The 
teacher  was  Miss  Frances  E.  TJfford.  Twenty- 
six  pupils  were  soon  gathered  in,  and  the  number 
rapidly  increased.  To  meet  the  increased  de- 
mands a  building  was  erected  near  Concord,  and 
forty  boarding  pupils  were  taken  at  what  they 
could  pay.  The  log  hut  was  continued  as  a  day 
school.  The  new  seminary  was  called  White 
Hall.  It  was  a  center  of  great  influence  until  fire 
destroyed  the  building.  As  the  result  of  an  appeal 
from  Miss  Ufford,  the  Home  Missionary  Society 


192  PRESBYTEEIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

of  Baltimore  gave  five  thousand  dollars  for  a  new 
building.  The  Synodical  Society  of  Pennsylva- 
nia gave  an  additional  five  thousand  dollars  and 
in  1893  the  present  commodious  building  was 
erected.  It  was  named  the  "  Laura  Sunderland  " 
in  loving  remembrance  of  one  whose  life  had 
been  devoted  to  the  cause  which  the  school  rep- 
resents. The  building  is  located  about  two  miles 
from  Concord.  It  is  commodious  and  well  ar- 
ranged. The  basement  contains  the  kitchen  and 
dining  rooms.  On  the  first  floor  there  are  the 
boarding  hall,  library,  and  reception  room,  as- 
sembly room,  schoolrooms,  and  recitation  hall. 
The  second  and  third  stories,  with  halls  the 
entire  length  of  the  building,  are  well-ventilated 
sleeping  rooms.  The  building  is  surrounded  by 
thirty  acres  of  land  which  belong  to  the  institute. 
One  half  of  this  land  was  a  gift.  The  girls  are 
taught  to  keep  house  and  to  make  their  own  gar- 
ments. They  are  sufficiently  educated  to  teach 
among  their  own  people.  Bible  instruction  and 
religious  training  are  placed  above  everything 
else.  The  present  enrollment  is  six  teachers, 
seventy-two  boarding  pupils,  and  one  day 
pupil. 

The  normal  school  stands  at  the  head  of  the 
mountain-school  system.  Of  this  class  of  schools 
we  have  but  one  representative  among  the  moun- 
taineers,— "  The  Asheville  Normal  and  Collegiate 


THE   MOUNTAINEERS  193 

Institution,"  located  at  Asheville.  It  was  or- 
ganized in  1892  by  the  Rev.  Thomas  Lawrence, 
D.  D,,  who  is  still  the  superintendent.  The 
graduates  of  the  normal  school  at  Asheville  are 
granted  State  certificates  and  can  teach  any- 
where in  the  State  without  being  examined.  No 
other  school,  besides  the  State  Normal,  enjoys 
this  privilege.  To  this  school  come  the  graduates 
of  the  academies  who  have  special  qualifications 
for  becoming  teachers.  Thus  our  schools  have 
teachers  who  have  "  been  born  on  the  soil  and 
trained  on  the  field ;  understanding  the  people 
and  being  understood  by  them."  By  such  an  ar- 
rangement greater  economy  and  increased  effi- 
ciency are  acquired.  To  this  end  the  normal 
and  collegiate  institute  was  established,  mainly 
for  the  training  of  teachers  and  Christian  work- 
ers. The  results  have  more  than  justified  the 
wisdom  of  the  undertaking. 

The  normal  offers  for  its  students  three  courses 
of  study.  The  first  is  the  normal  or  teachers' 
training  course ;  the  second  is  the  commercial  or 
business  course ;  and  the  third  is  a  course  in 
domestic  science,  in  which  advanced  studies  in 
the  domestic  arts  are  pursued.  One  half  hour  a 
day  in  all  grades  is  spent  in  systematic  study  of 
the  Bible.  The  object  of  these  courses  is  to  edu- 
cate the  head,  heart,  and  hand.  Each  student  has 
to  do  in  her  turn  every  part  of  the  work  of  the 


194:  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

school  home,  for  it  is  as  much  a  home  as  a  school. 
The  schedule  is  changed  every  six  weeks.  All 
graduates,  whether  teachers,  stenographers,  or 
dressmakers,  have  been  taught  to  care  for  a 
home.  As  students,  they  have  taken  their  turn 
in  cooking  the  food,  caring  for  the  chapel,  dining 
room,  class  rooms  and  their  own  dormitories. 
They  have  largely  made  their  own  clothes,  have 
been  taught  to  laundry  them,  and  to  care  for  the 
sick  except  in  most  serious  cases.  Thus  they  are 
thoroughly  fitted  for  the  duties  of  life  in  all  its 
various  phases.  If  compelled  to  make  their  own 
living  they  have  their  trades  by  which  to  do  so. 
If  fortunate  enough  to  have  their  own  homes 
they  are  prepared  to  care  for  them  and  to  make 
home  life  comfortable  and  happy.  The  influence 
of  such  a  school  is  scarcely  imaginable.  Our 
normal  school  is  known  over  the  entire  State  and 
has  been  a  beneficial  power  over  the  whole 
northern  part  of  it.  Sixteen  teachers  are  en- 
gaged in  the  normal  work.  Two  hundred  and 
thirty-seven  boarding  pupils  and  fifty-four  day 
pupils,  a  total  of  two  hundred  and  ninety-one,  are 
enrolled. 

Sunday-school  missions  have  been  an  important 
factor  in  the  evangelization  of  the  mountaineers. 
In  addition  to  those  organized  by  the  teachers  of 
the  day  schools  our  Board  of  Publication  and 
Sabbath-school  Work  is  engaged  in  most  success- 


THE   MOUNTAINEERS  195 

ful  Sabbath-school  labors  in  the  mountain  regions 
of  Tennessee,  Kentucky,  and  "West  Virginia. 
The  Sabbath-school  superintendent  who  is  at  the 
head  of  this  work  is  Kev.  C.  Humble,  M.  D.,  of 
Parkersburg,  West  Virginia.  Dr.  Humble  is  a 
thorough  master  of  his  field ;  wise  in  planning, 
indefatigable  in  execution  and  consecrated  in 
all  his  labors.  He  has  made  Sunday-school  work 
a  great  success  in  the  more  needy  parts  of  these 
desolate  regions.  In  Tennessee,  under  the  Board 
there  are  forty-two  Sabbath  schools,  one  hundred 
and  twenty-seven  teachers,  and  one  thousand  five 
hundred  and  thirty -nine  scholars.  Fourteen 
churches  have  been  organized  from  Sabbath- 
school  work,  since  its  beginning,  in  1887.  In 
Kentucky  there  are  fifty-one  schools,  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty-two  teachers,  and  two  thousand 
two  hundred  and  sixteen  scholars.  Seven 
churches  here  have  been  organized  from  the  Sab- 
bath schools.  In  "West  Virginia  there  are  forty- 
three  schools,  one  hundred  and  sixty-nine  teach- 
ers, one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  seventy-five 
scholars.  Since  1887,  forty-nine  churches  have 
been  developed  in  this  field — eleven  Presbyterian, 
three  Southern  Presbyterians,  one  United  Pres- 
byterian, twenty-one  Methodists,  six  Baptists, 
five  United  Brethren,  and  two  Adventists.  The 
eflBciency  and  achievements  of  the  Sabbath-school 
missions  can  thus  be  seen  at  a  glance  and  should 


196  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

stimulate  the  zeal  of  all  supporters  in  this  splen- 
did phase  of  its  great  work. 

Bible  readers,  a  new  feature  of  missionary 
work,  are  an  outgrowth  of  mountaineer  missions. 
The  Bible  readers  are  consecrated  women  who 
go  into  localities  where  it  is  not  possible  to  or- 
ganize schools.  They  live  in  the  neighborhood, 
visit  the  people  in  their  homes,  and  explain  and 
apply  the  Bible  to  them.  It  is  taking  the  gospel 
to  those  who  cannot  come  to  it.  Dr.  Humble, 
the  Sabbath-school  superintendent,  is  the  origi- 
nator of  this  new  method  of  work.  It  is  now 
also  used  by  the  "Woman's  Board.  The  idea  is 
a  practical  one  and  not  infrequently  churches 
have  been  organized  as  a  result  of  this  class  of 
work. 

Thus  the  Presbyterian  Church  by  missionaries, 
schools,  Sabbath  schools  and  Bible  readers,  is 
doing  its  utmost  to  carry  the  gospel  to  this 
forgotten  people  of  our  southern  mountains. 
Christianity,  patriotism,  and  especially  Presby- 
terianism,  call  us  to  this  field  of  labor.  These 
people  are  descendants  of  loyal  Presbyterians. 
Many  of  their  ancestors  gave  their  lives  for  our 
Church  and  for  our  country.  They  are  bone  of 
our  bone,  and  flesh  of  our  flesh,  and  should  be  the 
special  objects  of  our  sympathy,  of  our  interest 
and  our  labors.  More  than  all,  they  personally 
prefer  and  develop  best  under  Presbyterian  doc- 


THE   MOUNTAINEEES  197 

trines  and  methods,  and  the  cry  from  every  side 
is  for  more  Presbyterian  schools,  missionaries, 
and  teacliers.  This  fact  places  a  tremendous 
responsibility  on  our  Church  which  should  not  be 
shirked. 

In  spite  of  all  that  has  been  done  the  needs  of 
the  field  are  great.  Proper  literature  is  much 
needed,  especially  a  tract  setting  forth  Presby- 
terian doctrine  in  untechnical  terms.  An  indus- 
trial school  is  needed  in  every  one  of  the  moun- 
tains of  the  regions  not  yet  supplied  with  one. 
These  schools  are  the  best  agencies  possible  for 
revolutionizing  the  domestic,  social  and  religious 
life  of  a  county.  More  day  schools  and  teachers 
are  greatly  needed.  Constant  cries  come  for 
more,  and  the  Board  must  turn  a  deaf  ear  for  a 
lack  of  funds.  Churches  and  regular  preaching 
services  are  also  in  great  demand.  Tens  of  thou- 
sands of  our  own  people  are  calling  for  our  aid. 
Shall  we  refuse  them  the  gospel  and  the  Church 
so  dear  to  our  common  ancestry  ? 

The  possibilities  of  the  mountain  work  should 
appeal  to  us  with  great  power.  Results  are 
speedy  and  substantial.  The  soil  that  lies  dor- 
mant beneath  the  outward  irregularities  is  good. 
It  needs  but  to  be  cultivated  to  bring  forth  good 
fruit — some  cases  thirty,  and  some  sixty,  and 
others  a  hundredfold.  Ordinarily  it  takes  gen- 
erations to  develop  degraded  populations  but  this 


198  PRESBYTERIAlSr   HOME   MISSIONS 

is  not  so  here.  These  mountaineers  still  have 
dormant  within  them  the  principles  and  native 
abilities  of  their  ancestors.  One  illustration  will 
show  the  prodigious  possibilities  in  these  moun- 
tain people.  Some  years  ago  Miss  Florence 
Stephenson  of  the  Home  Industrial  School  of 
Asheville,  made  an  address  before  the  Synod  of 
Ohio.  The  moderator  in  introducing  her  said : 
"  I  am  glad  to  introduce  to  you  this  woman,  who 
represents  the  school  work  of  the  South.  I  am 
here  a  minister  among  you  because  near  my 
father's  home  in  Tennessee  a  Presbyterian  church 
and  day  school  were  established."  Thus  in  a  few 
years  a  mountain  boy  had  gone  from  a  mountain 
home  missionary  school  to  the  moderatorship  of 
the  great  Synod  of  Ohio.  Kor  was  he  an  excep- 
tionally bright  boy.  Instead,  a  classmate  declares 
that,  "  when  he  entered  college  he  was  one  of  the 
greenest  mountain  boys  who  ever  entered  col- 
lege." Moreover,  this  is  no  isolated  case.  It  has 
been  many  times  duplicated.  All  over  the  South 
to-day  are  young  ladies  from  our  girls'  schools 
teaching  in  mission  schools,  in  public  schools,  and 
occupying  other  responsible  positions,  and  doing 
noble  work  in  uplifting  their  own  people  by 
leading  them  to  Christ.  The  skeptic  who  asks. 
Do  missions  pay  ?  cannot  turn  from  mountain 
work  with  any  satisfaction  if  he  seeks  a  nega- 
tive answer.     The  splendid  and  speedj^  results  of 


THE  MOUNTAINEERS  199 

the  past  should  fill  our  hearts  with  gratitude  to 
God  and  should  inspire  us  to  redouble  our  ener- 
gies until  all  this  people  are  brought  again  be- 
neath the  blue  banner  of  Presbyterianism  and 
the  cross  of  Christ. 


YII 
THE  MEXICANS 


CHAPTEK  YII 

THE  MEXICANS 

The  administration  of  James  K.  Polk  as  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  1845-1849,  is  spe- 
cially marked  by  the  Mexican  War.  In  1821, 
Mexico  achieved  her  independence  from  Spain. 
She  then  annexed  the  provinces  of  Texas  and 
Coahuila  which  lay  to  the  west  of  Texas,  under 
one  government.  In  1836,  Texas  rebelled,  gained 
her  independence,  and  March  1,  1844,  was  ad- 
mitted as  a  State  into  the  American  Union. 
Texas  claimed  that  her  independence  included 
that  of  Coahuila.  This  Mexico  denied,  and  when. 
Texas  was  received  into  the  Union,  war  arose 
over  the  question  of  the  extent  of  the  boundary 
line  of  Texas.  Mexico  was  defeated.  On  the 
second  of  February  a  treaty  was  concluded  be- 
tween the  two  nations.  Mexico  relinquished  the 
territory  that  now  includes  the  whole  of  New 
Mexico  and  California  to  the  United  States. 
The  United  States  paid  into  the  Mexican  treas- 
ury fifteen  million  dollars,  and  became  responsi- 
ble for  Mexican  debts  to  American  citizens,  not 
to  exceed  three  million  five  hundred  thousand 

203 


304  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

dollars.  Thus  the  territory  of  the  United  States 
was  spread  out  in  one  broad  belt  from,  ocean  to 
ocean. 

New  Mexico  in  this  way  became  a  part  of  the 
United  States ;  but  it  is  still  essentially  a  foreign 
country.  It  is  the  principal  home  of  the  Mexi- 
cans in  the  United  States.  The  people,  in  race, 
religion,  language,  and  tradition,  are  more  Mex- 
ican than  American.  The  Territory  is  large,  being 
equal  in  size  to  New  England,  New  York,  and  a 
part  of  New  Jersey.  Its  general  elevation  is  about 
six  thousand  feet  above  the  sea  level.  Its  moun- 
tains form  its  chief  physical  feature.  They  are 
intersected  by  beautiful  canyons  and  dotted  with 
wonderful  parks  of  surpassing  beauty.  The  cli- 
mate of  New  Mexico  is  attracting  attention  more 
and  more  as  it  becomes  better  known  and  appre- 
ciated. It  is  dry,  clear,  and  bright  through  most 
of  the  year  and  is  conducive  to  the  restoration 
and  preservation  of  the  health.  Agriculture  is 
limited  to  the  valleys  because  of  the  scarcity  of 
rainfall.  Wheat  and  fruit  of  the  finest  quality 
are  raised  here.  Precious  metals  are  found  in 
almost  all  parts  of  the  Territory.  The  valleys 
are  also  capable  of  supporting  large  numbers  of 
cattle  and  sheep.  The  capital  of  New  Mexico  is 
Sante  Fe,  the  second  oldest  city  in  the  United 
States.  The  chief  cities  are  Albuquerque,  Las 
Yegas  and  Santa  Fe. 


THE  MEXICANS  205 

The  early  history  of  New  Mexico  is  interest- 
ing and  romantic.  Here  the  Montezumas  ruled 
over  the  most  enlightened  Indian  civilization  of 
America.  Centuries  ago  temples  and  altars  were 
upon  its  mountains  and  in  its  valleys.  Euins  of 
cities,  of  palaces,  and  of  temples,  are  yet  to  be 
found  which  tell  of  the  high  civilization  of  the 
early  inhabitants.  These  early  inhabitants  were 
undoubtedly  Indians,  though  they  had  attained 
a  civilization  far  superior  to  that  of  the  average 
tribe  of  the  aborigines.  How  they  reached  this 
state  of  development  will  ever  remain  a  mystery. 
Mexico  was  conquered  by  the  Spaniards  under 
Cortez  over  three  centuries  ago.  Expeditions 
were  sent  north  in  search  of  gold  and  thus  Kew 
Mexico  came  also  under  Spanish  control,  and 
later  on  the  home  of  a  mixed  race  of  Spaniards 
and  Indians,  called  Mexicans. 

New  Mexico  is  not  separated  by  any  natural 
boundary  from  Mexico  nor  does  it  differ  essen- 
tially from  the  mother  country.  During  three 
hundred  years  of  Spanish  rule  there  was  no  ad- 
vancement in  the  Territory  in  science,  art,  poli- 
tics, industry,  education,  or  religion.  When  the 
American  flag  was  raised  by  General  Kearney 
at  Santa  Fe,  June,  1846,  there  was  but  one  school 
in  the  entire  Territory.  Only  a  small  portion  of 
the  population  could  read.  The  rudest  industrial 
and  agricultural   implements   were    used.     The 


206  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

rich  mines  were  inoperative.  Idleness,  ignorance, 
and  superstition,  were  the  characteristics  of  the 
people.  Nor  did  Americans  first  appreciate  the 
value  of  the  Territory.  For  twenty-five  years 
after  American  possession  it  lay  dormant  and  un- 
known. But  the  tide  of  emigration  has  turned 
toward  New  Mexico.  In  1880,  the  population 
was  one  hundred  and  nineteen  thousand,  five 
hundred  and  sixty-five;  in  1890,  one  hundred 
and  fifty-three  thousand,  five  hundred  and  ninety- 
three  ;  and  in  1900,  one  hundred  and  ninety-three 
thousand,  seven  hundred  and  seventy-seven. 
This  increase  of  forty  thousand  in  the  last  decade 
is  mainly  by  importation.  The  Christianization 
of  the  territory  is  thus  made  additionally  im- 
portant. 

The  population  of  New  Mexico  consists  of  four 
distinct  and  separate  classes.  The  Pueblo  In- 
dians are  the  remnant  of  the  native  race,  of  whose 
origin  and  antecedents  we  know  nothing.  They 
are  scattered  in  seventeen  different  towns.  The 
inhabitants  of  the  towns  are  different  from  each 
other  and  while  many  speak  Spanish,  yet  among 
themselves  they  have  ten  or  twelve  different 
languages.  They  are  partially  civilized  and  sup- 
port themselves.  Their  religion  is  a  mixture  of 
Catholicism  and  paganism.  The  Snake  Dance  is 
a  religious  ceremony  peculiar  to  some  of  the 
tribes.     Once  a  year  they  hunt  the  snakes  in  the 


THE  MEXICANS  207 

mountains.  "When  they  have  caught  large  num- 
bers they  perform  the  dance  and  worship  them 
in  honor  of  their  ancestors.  The  snakes  are  sup- 
posed to  possess  the  souls  of  their  ancestors,  and 
this  explains  the  revolting  ceremony.  The  roving 
Indians  have  come  to  New  Mexico  from  other 
sections.  They  number  about  25,000  and  are 
savage  and  blood  thirsty.  The  native  Mexican 
population  is  a  mixed  race,  having  in  its  veins 
the  blood  of  both  the  Montezumas  and  the  Span- 
iards. The  American  population  is  as  yet  very 
small,  but  is  rapidly  increasing.  They  are  gov- 
ernment and  railroad  employees,  miners  and 
ranchers,  with  professional  men  and  others  who 
have  been  attracted  to  the  Territory  for  various 
reasons,  since  the  opening  of  the  railroads. 

The  Mexicans  of  the  United  States,  outside  of 
New  Mexico,  live  principally  in  Arizona,  Colo- 
rado, California,  and  Texas.  In  all  there  are 
supposed  to  be  about  three  hundred  thousand  of 
this  exceptional  class  in  our  country.  Of  these, 
about  one  hundred  thousand  have  come  to  us 
from  Mexico.  The  remainder  have  had  their 
origin  in  New  Mexico  and  live  there  to-day,  or 
in  the  surrounding  states  and  territories. 

The  conditions  that  characterize  the  masses  of 
the  Mexicans  in  the  United  States  are  by  no 
means  inviting.  The  wealthier  ones  live  in  the 
towns,  possess  their  own  homes,  and  enjoy  the 


208  PEESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

advantages  of  civilization.  But  this  class  is 
small  and  is  growing  smaller.  The  masses  of 
the  people,  who  live  on  the  outskirts  of  the 
towns,  in  the  country  and  on  the  ranches  are  in 
a  deplorable  condition.  Their  houses  are  usually 
mud  huts,  having  dirt  floors  and  only  the  scan- 
tiest furniture.  Their  daily  fare  is  very  simple. 
Sometimes  it  is  nothing  more  than  bread  and 
coffee  served  to  all  from  a  common  dish.  The 
men  and  boys  eat  first,  and  what  is  left  goes  to 
the  women  and  girls.  Early  marriages  and  large 
families  are  the  rule.  The  domestic  and  indus- 
trial implements  are  few  and  simple.  Farming 
is  their  principal  occupation ;  each  family  owns 
a  small  tract  of  land,  but  it  provides  a  scanty 
living  because  of  the  large  number  in  the  family. 
Idleness  is  widespread.  Many  are  idle  because 
they  have  nothing  to  do.  The  women  have  few 
household  duties — nothing  to  sew,  and  little  to 
cook.  The  men  are  shiftless  and  lazy.  The  re- 
sult of  this  idleness  and  general  mismanagement 
is  extreme  poverty.  To  these  causes  of  poverty 
must  also  be  added  their  failure  to  appreciate 
the  value  of  money  and  to  use  it  properly.  They 
will  buy  a  green  handkerchief  when  they  should 
buy  a  dress  or  a  shirt ;  or  spend  their  money  for 
tobacco,  cigarettes,  or  shows,  when  it  should  be 
spent  for  the  necessities  of  the  home. 

In  natural  disposition  the  Mexicans  are  worthy 


THE   MEXICANS  209 

of  admiration  and  imitation.  In  their  home  life 
they  are  very  kind  to  one  another.  Parents  are 
lenient  with  their  children,  and  cruelty  is  seldom 
known.  Members  of  a  home  are  very  fond  of 
each  other.  Their  kindness  of  disposition  is  also 
manifested  in  their  hospitality  to  strangers.  Up 
to  their  ability  they  cordially  entertain  all 
comers. 

The  vices  of  the  Mexicans  are  glaring  and  re- 
volting. The  crowding  of  large  families  into 
one  living  and  sleeping  room  is  necessarily  pro- 
ductive of  much  evil.  The  people  have  a  crav- 
ing for  stimulants.  Men,  women,  and  children, 
smoke.  Intemperance  from  wine-drinking  is 
widely  prevalent.  The  abundance  of  grapes 
makes  wine  plentiful  and  accessible.  Gambling 
is  also  a  prevalent  vice.  The  men  and  boys 
spend  much  time  in  gambling.  In  many  places 
cock-fighting  is  a  common  pastime.  Saloons, 
gambling  hells,  and  other  dens  of  iniquity,  exist 
and  are  freely  patronized. 

Educational  facilities  are  very  poor.  In  1846, 
there  was  but  one  school  in  'New  Mexico.  Up 
to  18Y2,  there  was  no  effort  to  establish  pub- 
lic schools.  To-day  there  are  several  hundred 
schools  of  much  inferiority.  The  towns  and  cities 
have  fairly  good  educational  advantages,  but  the 
general  condition,  educationally,  is  very  deplora- 
ble.    The  State  Superintendent  of  Education  a 


210  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSION'S 

few  years  ago  could  scarcely  read  and  write  I 
In  many  districts  the  schools  are  kept  open  only 
two  or  three  months  in  the  year  and  never  more 
than  five.  The  schoolhouses  are  rude,  ill-lighted, 
and  poorly  furnished.  The  children  often  sit  on 
grocery  boxes  or  round  the  wall.  The  Catholic 
Church  has  a  number  of  schools,  chiefly  in  the 
towns  and  cities,  but  their  aims  and  methods  are 
very  inferior. 

The  religion  of  the  Mexicans  is  a  mixture  of 
paganism  and  Catholicism.  Until  the  coming  of 
the  Spaniards  they  were  pagans.  Since  their 
coming  they  have  been  compelled  to  become 
Catholics ;  but  in  their  religious  ideas,  rites,  and 
duties,  the  two  are  sadly  mixed.  The  people  are 
ignorant,  superstitious,  and  fanatical.  A  particu- 
lar class  of  fanatics  is  called  Penitentes.  They 
number  thousands  and  are  widely  scattered. 
They  are  probably  the  successors  of  the  old 
Spanish  Flagellants,  who  in  earl}'^  days  came  to 
this  country  with  their  ascetic  and  superstitious 
religious  ceremonies.  In  connection  with  the 
services  of  the  Holy  Week,  the  Penitentes  carry 
a  huge  cross  from  the  meeting  place  to  a  distant 
hill,  and  by  rude  and  unearthly  ceremonies  recall 
the  scenes  of  Christ's  crucifixion.  It  used  to  be 
charged  that  they  crucified  one  of  their  number. 
They  are  stripped  to  the  waist  and  lash  them- 
selves "with  whips  until  their  backs  are  sore  and 


THE  MEXICANS  211 

lacerated.  The  better  classes  of  the  people  are 
turning  away  from  such  ignorant  superstitions, 
and  unless  they  get  the  true  light  from  the 
Cross,  they  will  inevitably  turn  to  the  darkness 
of  infidelity. 

Christianity  was  of  course  introduced  into 
New  Mexico  by  Catholics.  For  over  three  cen- 
turies they  had  the  field  all  to  themselves,  "  and 
yet  when  Protestant  missionaries  entered,  it  was 
to  find  the  people  living  in  darkness,  degradation, 
and  sin."  The  priests,  all  French,  ruled  the  peo- 
ple with  a  rod  of  iron.  The  darkness  of  heath- 
enism still  exists,  and  the  superstitions  of  the 
Middle  Ages  are  still  present.  The  cross,  the 
image  of  Christ,  the  Yirgin  Mary,  and  the  saints, 
are  idolatrously  worshiped.  Until  recent  times 
Catholic  schools  were  unknown,  and  no  hos- 
pitals had  been  established,  where  the  needy 
and  infirm  might  be  cared  for.  Catholicism  has 
been  a  blighting  curse  to  these  thousands  of  peo- 
ple, and  it  will  take  years  to  destroy  its  pernicious 
influences. 

Protestant  mission  work  among  the  Mexicans 
began  at  Santa  Fe  in  1849.  The  pioneer  mis- 
sionary was  a  Baptist — Rev.  W.  H.  Read.  The 
mission  established  by  Mr.  Read  experienced 
many  vicissitudes  and  was  finally  abandoned  by 
the  Baptists  and  left  to  the  Presbyterians. 

The    first    Presbyterian    missionary  to  New 


212  PRESBYTEKIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

Mexico  was  the  Eev.  W.  G.  Kephart.  He  was 
sent  out  by  the  American  Missionary  Society  in 
1850.  To  reach  Santa  Fe,  Mr.  Kephart  had  to 
ride  a  thousand  miles  in  an  ox  cart,  the  time  con- 
sumed being  three  months.  He  was  succeeded 
by  Eev.  D.  F.  MacFarland  who  in  1866  estab- 
lished a  Presbyterian  church  and  a  mission 
school  at  Santa  Fe.  The  school  is  now  the 
"  Santa  Fe  Boarding  School,"  which  has  been 
such  a  blessing  to  Mexican  girls.  The  first  con- 
vert in  the  Taos  Yalley  was  J.  D.  Mondragon, 
the  Presbyterian  evangelist  of  many  years 
standing.  In  1856  he  was  the  chief  Brother  or 
Captain  of  the  Penitentes  in  Taos  Yalley  and  a 
member  of  the  Legislature  of  New  Mexico.  He 
wandered  into  the  Baptist  mission  at  Santa  Fe 
and  heard  a  sermon.  Before  leaving  the  capital 
for  home  he  obtained  a  Bible.  This  he  read, 
with  no  other  to  guide  him,  for  seventeen  years, 
having  learned  unaided  to  give  up  the  dreadful 
rites  of  the  Penitentes.  Then  the  Presbyterian 
missionary,  Eev.  James  M.  Eoberts,  settled  at 
Taos.  Mr.  Mondragon  accepted  Christ  and  be- 
came a  missionary  to  his  own  people. 

Eev.  Jose  Y.  Perea  was  the  first  Mexican  or- 
dained to  the  Presbyterian  ministry.  His  father 
was  wealthy  and  aristocratic.  At  an  eastern 
college  the  son  imbibed  Protestant  views.  Dur- 
ing a  vacation  period  he  broke  the  images  in  his 


THE   MEXICANS  213 

father's  house  and  was  soundly  whipped  for  it. 
After  graduation,  because  of  his  Protestantism, 
he  was  an  exile  and  wandered  for  sixteen  years. 
Then  he  was  allowed  to  return  to  New  Mexico. 
At  first  he  was  a  shepherd  and  spent  much  time 
in  studying  the  Bible.  Thus  our  first  missionary 
found  him.  He  became  a  licentiate  evangelist 
and  afterwards  a  regularly  ordained  Presby- 
terian minister,  the  first  among  the  Mexicans  of 
New  Mexico. 

"Father"  Gomez  is  another  interesting  early 
convert.  His  ancestors  came  from  Spain  over 
three  centuries  ago,  and  he  was  the  chief  or 
"  Father  "  of  a  large  class,  all  of  whom  were  bound 
by  Catholic  superstitions.  By  an  unknown  provi- 
dence he  saw  a  Spanish  Bible  and  could  not  rest 
until  he  possessed  one.  To  get  it  he  went  by  ox 
cart  to  Santa  Fe,  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
away  and  sold  an  ox  for  twenty-five  dollars  that 
he  might  purchase  it.  He  compared  its  teachings 
with  the  Catholic  practices  and  gave  up  Catholi- 
cism. The  existence  of  the  Protestant  Church 
was  unknown  to  him  ;  but  when  our  missionaries 
visited  the  region  in  which  he  lived  he  received 
them  gladly.  A  church  and  school  were  soon 
organized.  A  grandson  of  Father  Gomez  became 
the  teacher  of  the  school  At  the  meeting  of  the 
General  Assembly  in  1889,  the  grandson  dis- 
played the  worn  Bible  of  his  grandfather  and 


214  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

thanked  God  for  it,  exclaiming  in  conclusion: 
"  I  bless  and  praise  God  for  the  precious  gift, 
and  I  would  not  part  with  it  for  all  the  world 
besides." 

The  beginning  of  mission  work  in  this  field 
was  gradually  followed  by  additional  laborers  in 
different  fields.  In  1869  Rev.  J.  A.  Annin  began 
work  at  Las  Vegas,  and  opened  a  school  in  1870. 
In  the  same  year  Rev.  Sheldon  Jackson,  D.  D., 
went  through  the  Rocky  Mountain  territories. 
In  18Y2  Rev.  James  M.  Roberts  settled  at  Taos 
and  labored  among  the  Pueblos  and  their  Mexi- 
can neighbors.  Three  prosperous  schools  have 
grown  out  of  the  Taos  work.  In  1875  a  school 
was  started  at  El  Rito  for  Mexicans,  and  in  1878 
Rev.  R.  W.  Hall  and  wife  began  their  successful 
labors  at  Ocate. 

In  1880  there  were  twelve  Mexican  and  three 
Pueblo  schools  in  New  Mexico.  In  1883  the 
Spanish  school  at  Los  Angeles  was  opened.  It 
has  been  a  great  blessing  to  the  Mexican  girls  of 
California. 

Between  1878  and  1895  nine  missions  among 
the  Mexicans  in  Colorado  were  opened. 

In  1895  there  were  in  the  Mexican  field 
twenty-six  schools,  fifty-three  teachers,  and  one 
thousand  seven  hundred  and  seventy-four  scholars. 
In  the  Synod  of  New  Mexico  there  were  thirty- 
six  churches,  thirty-two  missionaries  and  helpers. 


THE   MEXICANS  215 

and  eight  hundred  and  seventy-seven  church 
members.  At  the  present  time  (1902)  we  have 
three  presbyteries  in  the  Synod  of  New  Mexico, 
with  sixty-two  organized  congregations,  of  which 
twenty-seven  are  American,  twenty-nine  Mexican, 
and  six  Indian,  with  a  total  membership  of  over 
three  thousand  five  hundred.  We  have  thirty- 
eight  ordained  ministers,  twenty-two  evangelists 
and  helpers,  sixty  commissioned  teachers,  and 
one  thousand  five  hundred  pupils  in  our  schools. 
The  congregations  have  raised  during  the  past 
year  $915  for  home  missions,  $800  for  foreign 
missions,  $24,307  for  congregational  purposes, 
and  $2,893  for  other  church  purposes,  making  a 
total  of  $28,915.  During  the  past  four  years 
nineteen  congregations  have  been  organized, 
fourteen  churches  have  been  built,  and  these  are 
to-day  all  supplied  with  missionaries.  In  addi- 
tion to  these  a  number  of  missionaries  are  labor- 
ing at  the  present  time  in  fields  where  as  yet 
no  organization  has  been  completed. 

Mexican  school  work  is  necessarily  a  promi- 
nent feature  in  their  evangelization.  Priestly 
antagonism  to  our  schools  was  at  first  very  pro- 
nounced. They  ofttimes  tried  to  interfere  with 
the  progress  of  our  school  work,  but  without 
success.  The  schools  are  influencing  the  Peni- 
tentes,  the  home  life  of  the  people,  and  the  lives 
of   the   children   and   young  people.     The  non- 


216  PRESBYTEEIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

Catholic  population  most  appreciates  our  schools. 
The  Penitentes  are  often  anxious  to  have  their 
children  educated,  but  the  great  masses  of  the 
people  are  under  the  dominating  influence  of  the 
Catholic  Church  and  it  will  require  both  patience 
and  time  to  win  them  away  from  this  allegiance 
and  to  make  it  possible  for  them  to  appreciate 
and  to  participate  in  the  advantages  of  Protes- 
tant Christianity.  But  from  our  schools  will 
soon  come  a  generation  that  will  throw  off  this 
yoke  of  bondage,  and  the  harvest  time  of  souls 
will  be  here. 

Our  schools  for  Mexican  children  are  located 
in  New  Mexico,  Colorado,  and  California.  With 
few  exceptions,  such  as  the  "  Santa  Fe  Boarding 
School "  and  the  "  Albuquerque  Training  School " 
they  are  day  schools  in  small  Mexican  towns 
where  the  American  teacher  is  usually  the  only 
English-speaking  person  in  the  place.  The  need 
for  schools  and  teachers  is  very  poorly  supplied. 
Many  are  just  emerging  from  Romanism.  "  They 
are  in  dense  ignorance  of  the  Bible.  Their  great 
need  and  their  constant  cry  is  for  more  schools, 
more  teachers,  more  Christian  instruction." 

The  Santa  Fe  Boarding  School  was  or- 
ganized as  a  day  school  in  November,  1867.  It 
was  the  result  of  the  interest  of  a  military 
officer  and  his  wife  located  at  the  capital  city. 
The    work  was  under  the  supervision  of  Eev. 


THE  MEXICANS  2lY 

D.  F.  MacFarland,  and  Miss  Gaston  became  the 
first  teacher.  The  priests  opposed  the  school 
and  often  retarded  its  growth  but  the  losses  were 
soon  regained.  June  1,  1881,  Miss  M.  L.  Allison 
began  her  work  in  the  school,  it  still  being  a 
day  school.  The  building  in  which  the  sessions 
were  held  was  old  and  dilapidated.  Miss  Allison 
heroically  persevered  until  repairs  and  improve- 
ments were  made.  In  September,  1882,  seventy- 
five  scholars  were  enrolled,  one  half  being  Mexi- 
cans, the  others,  Italians,  Germans,  Americans, 
and  negroes.  Miss  Allison  soon  became  im- 
pressed with  the  necessity  of  a  separate  boarding 
school  for  the  girls  where  they  could  be  taught 
useful  domestic  industries.  Ten  girls  were  re- 
ceived as  boarders.  In  1885  the  school  had  three 
teachers,  twenty  boarding  and  forty-nine  day 
pupils.  In  1886  the  persecutions  of  the  priests 
decreased  the  enrollment ;  but  the  results  were 
not  serious.  In  October,  1889,  a  new  building 
was  finished.  The  enrollment  now  reached 
seventy-four  boarding  and  fifty  day  pupils.  The 
school  at  present  has  seven  teachers  and  ninety 
boarding  pupils.  Its  work  has  been  eminently 
successful. 

The  Albuquerque  School  is  located  in 
Albuquerque,  New  Mexico,  in  the  building  once 
occupied  as  an  Indian  training  school.  The  In- 
dian enterprise  was  abandoned  after  a  govern- 


218  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

ment  school  was  established  for  them  at  the  same 
place.  In  1895,  it  was  reopened  as  a  school  for 
Mexican  boys.  Later  on  the  boarding  depart- 
ment of  the  Las  Vegas  school  was  moved  to 
Albuquerque,  because  of  its  superior  facilities. 
Miss  A.  D.  McNair,  the  able  superintendent  at 
Las  Vegas,  and  her  assistants  deserve  great  credit 
for  making  this  transfer  possible.  It  has  proved  a 
wise  movement,  and  here  it  is  possible  for  Mexican 
boys  to  receive  spiritual  and  industrial  help  to 
prepare  them  for  the  duties  of  this  life  and  the 
life  to  come.  The  school  to-day  has  six  teachers 
and  ninety  boarding  scholars.  Mr.  J.  C.  Koss, 
the  efficient  missionary  at  Good  Will  Mission,  be- 
came associated  with  Miss  McNair  in  the  Albu- 
querque work.  "If  you  could  see  a  dirty,  pro- 
crastinating, untrained  Mexican  boy  transformed 
by  this  life  into  the  tidy,  dish-washing,  bed-mak- 
ing, care-taking,  studious,  Bible-loving,  hymn- 
singing,  wide-awake  schoolboy,  you  would  know 
what  it  is  that  justifies  this  string  of  adjectives, 
and  the  money  spent  by  the  Presbyterian  women 
on  their  Albuquerque  school;  and  you  would 
want  to  help." 

In  the  training  school  for  missionaries,  evangel- 
ists, and  helpers,  which  has  just  been  started  in 
connection  with  this  Menaul  school  at  Albuquer- 
que six  bright  3^oung  Mexicans  and  two  Indians 
are  being  trained  for  the  gospel  ministry.     The 


THE  MEXICANS  219 

accommodation  at  this  school  is  very  limited  and 
over  eighty  boys  are  packed  into  a  building 
where  there  is  not  room  for  more  than  fifty. 
The  training  department  has  therefore  to  be  con- 
ducted in  a  farmhouse  at  some  distance  from  the 
school  building.  Funds  for  the  support  of  the 
work  are  greatly  needed. 

The  success  of  our  Mexican  school  work  is  un- 
questioned. It  is  the  important  work.  Churches 
would  be  impossible  without  the  schools  as  the 
opening  wedge.  Travelers  testify  that,  on  enter- 
ing a  Mexican  home,  one  can  tell  at  a  glance  if 
any  of  its  inmates  have  attended  the  industrial 
school  at  Santa  Fe.  "What  more  convincing  testi- 
mony is  needed  to  the  importance  and  efficiency 
of  our  schools  in  this  field  of  our  labor  ?  A  work 
that  transforms  individuals,  homes,  and  communi- 
ties, is  an  important  and  necessary  work. 

Missions  among  the  Mexicans  of  our  country 
should  appeal  to  us  for  sympathy  and  for  support. 
These  people  are  the  descendants  of  the  best 
civilization  of  ancient  America  and  of  the  earliest 
civilization  of  modern  America.  There  is  a  ro- 
mantic and  picturesque  element  about  their  his- 
tory that  should  appeal  to  our  imaginations  and 
win  our  affections.  For  three  and  a  half  cen- 
turies they  have  been  fed  upon  the  very  husks  of 
the  Christian  religion.  Their  souls  to-day  are 
hungry  and  crying  out  for  the  true  bread ;  and 


220  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

as  Christ  said  to  the  disciples,  so  he  says  to  us, 
"  Give  ye  them  to  eat."  He  gave  to  the  dis- 
ciples ;  they  gave  to  the  multitudes.  He  has  also 
given  to  us,  and  following  their  example,  let  us 
give  the  Bread  of  life  to  the  soul  starving  Mexi- 
cans of  our  land. 


VIII 
THE  FOREIGNEES 


CHAPTER  YIII 

THE    FOREIGNERS 

The  population  of  the  United  States  accord- 
ing to  the  census  of  1900,  not  including  our  in- 
sular possessions,  was  Y6,303,38Y.  Of  this,  10,. 
460,085  are  foreign-born,  and  15,687,322  are  the 
children  of  foreign-born  parents.  Thus  every 
third  person  in  the  United  States  is  either  for- 
eign born  or  the  child  of  foreign-born  parents. 

The  foreign-born  population  distributed  by  the 
principal  countries  is  as  follows : — 

Germany,  2,666,990 ;  Ireland,  1,618,567 ;  Can- 
ada, English,  785,958;  French,  395,297;  total, 
1,181,255;  England,  842,078;  Sweden,  573,040; 
Italy,  484,207;  Russia,  424,096;  Poland  (Rus- 
sian, German,  etc.),  383,510  ;  Scotland,  336,985 ; 
Austria,  276,249  ;  Bohemia,  156,991 ;  Denmark, 
154,284;  Hungary,  145,802;  Switzerland,  115,- 
851 ;  Holland,  105,049  ;  France,  104,341 ;  Mexico, 
103,410;  Wales,  93,682.  There  are  119,050 
Chinese  in  the  United  States,  and  85,986  Japanese. 

Nor  is  the  tide  of  immigration  receding.  It  is 
still  steadily  on  the  increase.  For  the  year 
ending   June   30,   1897,   it   was   230,832;   1898, 

223 


224  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

229,299;  1899,  311,715;  1900,  418,572;  1901, 
487,918. 

The  increase  of  1899  over  1898  ^vas  82,416; 
that  of  1900  over  1899,  136,857;  and  that  of 
1901  over  1900,  39,346.  An  average,  therefore, 
of  almost  fourteen  hundred  foreigners  a  day  are 
coming  to  our  shores.  Our  land  is  vast  in  the 
extent  of  its  territory  and  almost  boundless  in 
its  possibilities  and  opportunities,  and  yet  it  is 
evident  to  all  that  the  assimilation  of  such  an 
army  of  people  of  different  races,  languages, 
religions,  customs,  and  political  prejudices,  can- 
not but  be  a  most  serious  problem.  One-fourth 
of  the  incoming  Italians  and  Hungarians,  and 
one-seventh  of  the  Russians,  are  illiterate.  And 
their  moral,  social  and  civil  degradation  is  on  an 
equality  with  their  intellectual  condition. 

Is  it  any  wonder,  therefore,  that  anarchy  has 
flourished  in  our  midst  until  it  has  stricken  down, 
in  the  light  of  day  and  surrounded  by  applauding 
thousands,  one  of  the  gentlest  and  most  beloved 
of  all  our  Presidents  ?  Is  it  any  wonder  that  our 
papers  daily  record  the  most  heinous  and  shock- 
ing crimes  ?  Is  it  any  wonder  that  our  jails  and 
prisons  are  crowded  ?  These  illiterate,  anar- 
chical, atheistical  populations  could  not  come  in 
such  numbers  to  our  land  without  producing 
such  results.  Our  anarchists  are  foreigners. 
Seventy  per  cent  of  the  crimes  of  our  country 


THE   FOKEIGKEKS  225 

are  committed  by  this  less  than  forty  per  cent 
of  our  foreign  population.  As  a  result  of  this 
iucoming  flood  of  illiterates  and  degenerates, 
dumped  upon  our  shores  by  continental  Europe, 
crime  is  increasing  in  our  country  eight  times  as 
fast  as  the  population, — and  the  end  is  not  yet. 

One  of  the  gravest  features  of  this  continued 
stream  of  immigration  lies  in  the  fact  that  the 
races  which  produce  the  most  undesirable  classes 
are  sending  heavily  increased  numbers  to  our 
shores, — and  more  than  this,  it  is  too  often  the 
case  that  the  most  objectionable  classes  are  the 
ones  that  come.  Contrasted  with  this  fact  is  the 
one  that  the  increase  in  immigrations  from  the 
most  desirable  races  is  deplorably  small.  In 
years  gone  by,  the  larger  number  of  our  immi- 
grants were  from  the  best  countries  and  the  best 
classes  of  Europe.  But  this  has  very  noticeably 
changed.  For  the  calendar  year  of  1900,  for  in- 
stance, the  number  of  immigrants  to  our  shores 
reached  the  total  of  472,126.  Of  these,  108,701 
came  from  Austria-Hungary ;  111,088  from  Italy, 
and  principally  southern  Italy ;  92,486  from 
Eussia.  From  Great  Britain  in  the  same  year 
there  were  but  49,532  immigrants ;  from  the 
German  Empire  but  20,768  ;  from  Greece  but 
4,664 ;  and  from  France  but  2,971.  These  facts 
present  grave  and  serious  problems.  The  mass 
of  our  incoming  population  to-day  is  not  only 


226  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

foreign  in  speech  and  in  customs  but  is  most 
undesirable  in  its  beliefs,  its  character,  and  in  its 
manner  of  living. 

Another  serious  phase  of  the  foreign  popula- 
tion problem  is  its  tendency  to  congregate  ac- 
cording to  nationalities  in  certain  sections  of  our 
country.  The  chief  places  of  destination  are  our 
large  cities,  our  great  eastern  industrial  centers, 
and  the  agricultural  districts  of  the  West  and 
Northwest. 

The  city  is  the  principal  haven  of  the  immi- 
grant. New  York  is  one  of  the  most  cosmopoli- 
tan cities  in  the  world.  Foreigners  and  foreign 
customs  from  all  parts  of  the  world  are  to  be 
seen  in  our  great  metropolis.  The  school  census 
of  Chicago  for  1899  showed  a  total  population 
of  1,851,588.  In  this  aggregate  twenty-five  dif- 
ferent nationalities  were  represented  and  the 
Americans  numerically  were  second  on  the  list. 
A  glance  at  some  of  the  principal  nationalities 
represented  will  show  the  alien  population  of 
the  second  city  in  our  land  : — German,  490,592  ; 
American,  488,683  ;  Irish,  248,142 ;  Swedes,  111,- 
190;  Poles,  96,853;  Bohemians,  89,280;  Nor- 
wegians, 45,680  ;  English,  44,223  ;  Kussians,  38,- 
987 ;  Canadians,  34,907 ;  Italians,  23,061 ;  Scotch, 
22,932  ;  French,  21,840 ;  Danish,  21,761  ;  Hol- 
landish,  19,148.  Then  in  smaller  figures  folloAV 
Hungarians,  Swiss,  Welsh,  Belgians,  Lithuanians, 


THE   FOEEIGNERS  227 

Greeks,  Chinese,  Spaniards,  Mexicans,  and  Afri- 
cans. In  Philadelphia,  the  most  American  of  all 
our  large  cities,  it  is  possible,  in  one  section  of 
the  city,  to  walk  ten  squares  and  to  hear  nine 
different  languages.  Nor  do  these  immense 
numbers  simply  settle  in  one  large  city,  but  they 
segregate,  entirely  occupying  separate  sections. 
The  result  is  that  most  of  our  large  cities  have 
their  "  Little  Germany,"  "  Little  Italy,"  "  Little 
Scandinavia,"  and  "  Chinatown."  The  shop  signs 
in  such  districts  are  written  in  foreign  tongues, 
newspapers  are  printed  in  foreign  languages,  and 
the  American  language  is  spoken  only  by  the 
children  who  attend  the  public  schools.  These 
classes  of  immigrants  are  ofttimes  of  the  lowest 
social  grades.  They  live  in  crowded  quarters, 
surrounded  by  squalor  and  confusion.  "  These 
sections  resemble  ant-hills  and  beehives  more 
than  human  habitations.  The  dead  in  our  ceme- 
teries are  not  so  closely  crowded  together  as 
these  restless,  excited  multitudes  of  the  living. 
Sometimes,  when  a  fire  breaks  out  or  a  drunken 
man  or  woman  is  led  away  to  the  station  house, 
all  the  windows  are  darkened,  and  every  stair- 
way empties  a  living  stream  into  the  street  until 
there  is  scarcely  standing  room.  During  hot 
summer  nights,  the  streets  are  crowded  until 
early  morning  with  yawning  and  sleeping  thou- 
sands."    In  such  sections  the  Sabbath  is  disre- 


228  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

garded,  the  children  are  neglected,  criminals  are 
educated,  and  vice  and  immorality  abound. 
There  is  no  question  in  our  national  life,  to-day, 
so  perplexing  and  so  vital  as  that  of  the  munici- 
pality. The  drift  of  populations  is  toward  the 
cities.  Urban  life  is  vastly  more  popular  than 
rural  life.  One-third  of  our  population  lives  in 
the  cities.  National  and  state  political  questions 
are  understood  and  controlled  with  far  more  ef- 
fectiveness and  comprehensiveness  than  those  of 
city  government.  Here  bossism  and  machine 
politics  have  reached  their  highest  perfection ; 
and  the  foreign  population  in  our  cities  is  a  large 
factor  in  the  supremacy  of  corrupt  political 
cabals.  It  is  ignorant.  It  has  been  accustomed 
at  home  to  be  tyrannized  over.  It  sees  in 
uniformed  men  the  representatives  of  the  law, 
whether  they  be  policemen  or  firemen,  and  is 
easily  controlled  and  voted  to  suit  the  will  of 
the  party  in  power.  A  great  step  forward  will 
be  made  in  municipal  reform  when  foreigners  in 
our  cities  are  Americanized  and  Christianized. 

The  industrial  and  mining  centers  of  our  great 
Eastern  States  next  to  the  cities  attract  our  in- 
coming population.  Over  one  half  of  our  for- 
eign immigrants  settle  in  the  States  of  New  York 
and  Pennsylvania.  Those  who  do  not  make 
their  homes  in  the  cities  of  New  York,  Phila- 
delphia, and  Pittsburgh,  find  their  way  to  the  great 


THE   FOREIGNERS  229 

mining  and  industrial  centers  of  the  states,  es- 
pecially in  Pennsylvania.  Hence  there  are  in 
these  sections  large  numbers  of  Slavs,  Poles, 
Italians,  and  Russians.  In  the  very  heart  of  the 
Keystone  State  can  be  found  entire  communities 
of  foreigners.  Foreign  languages  are  spoken, 
costumes  worn,  newspapers  read,  political  and 
religious  beliefs  held  and  practiced.  In  indus- 
trial western  Pennsylvania  there  are  over  four 
hundred  thousand  aliens ;  and  what  is  true  of 
the  industrial  centers  of  Pennsylvania  is  true  of 
other  industrial  states  of  the  Union.  American 
laborers  in  these  sections  are  being  rapidly  dis- 
placed by  foreign  laborers  and  it  is  this  factor 
that  makes  possible  most  of  our  great  industrial 
strikes,  particularly  in  the  coal  and  iron  regions. 
The  laborers  being  of  a  low,  ignorant  and  ex- 
citable class  are  readily  imposed  upon  by  dema- 
gogues in  the  persons  of  labor  agitators.  They 
are  easily  aroused  to  rebellion  and  even  to  deeds 
of  violence.  The  seriousness  of  the  problem  of 
our  foreign  population  from  this  standpoint  is 
not  to  be  overlooked. 

The  third  most  popular  destination  of  our  in- 
coming population  is  the  agricultural  and  lumber 
sections  of  the  great  West.  These  fields  at- 
tract particularly  the  Danes,  Germans,  Swedes, 
Norwegians,  Scandinavians,  and  Bohemians.  In 
Michigan,  Wisconsin,  Minnesota,  and  other  west- 


230  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

ern  states,  communities  consisting  almost  entirely 
of  foreigners  may  be  found.  Twenty  counties  in 
Texas  are  inhabited  almost  entirely  by  Germans  ; 
another  community  "will  be  Scandinavian  and 
another  Bohemian.  Nor  are  they  so  in  name 
only,  but  in  speech,  in  manner  of  life,  in  methods 
of  thinking,  and  in  religion.  Ministers  and  par- 
ents especially  insist  on  continuing  old  country 
customs  and  above  all  others  those  that  pertain 
to  religion  and  the  Church.  They  often  build 
their  own  schools  in  which  their  own  language 
is  used  and  in  which  sectarian  religious  views 
are  promulgated.  In  many  instances  the  chil- 
dren are  compelled  to  attend  these  schools  in 
preference  to  the  public  schools  of  our  land. 
The  problem  of  making  Americans  of  these  vari- 
ous peoples  is  a  great  one.  It  can  only  be  solved 
by  the  education  and  Christianization  of  the  chil- 
dren and  young  people,  and  in  this  work  the 
Church  of  Christ  must  bear  a  conspicuous  part. 

The  effects  of  these  conditions  upon  our  national 
life  is  worth  the  earnest  consideration  of  every 
American  statesman  and  citizen.  Many  of  these 
people  do  not  desire  and  do  not  intend  to  become 
citizens  of  our  country.  They  come  here  for 
what  they  can  make,  and  what  they  make  they 
send  back  to  their  native  country.  This,  of 
course,  is  not  true  of  all  classes.  Many  do  in- 
tend to  make  this  their  home.     "  They  regard  it 


THE   FOREIGNERS  231 

as  a  privilege  and  a  blessing  that  they  may  en- 
joy our  religious  and  political  freedom.  They 
readily  assimilate  our  American  ideas,  respect 
our  institutions,  are  a  blessing  to  our  country 
and  are  among  its  most  patriotic  defenders." 
The  danger  is  not  from  them — but  from  "  the 
scum  of  the  old  world,  the  degenerates,  the  im- 
moral, the  anarchists,  the  exiles  of  law  and 
order."  Whether  we  can  uplift  them  or  whether 
they  will  drag  us  down  is  an  open  and  unsettled 
question.  With  this  question  unsettled  the  risks 
taken  should  be  no  greater  than  are  absolutely 
necessary.  Until  we  know  what  is  to  be  the 
effect  of  these  alien  thousands  upon  our  national 
life  and  Christian  civilization,  immigration  should 
be  properly  restricted.  While  our  doors  should 
be  open  to  all  worthy,  industrious,  intelligent, 
law-abiding,  home-seeking  classes  from  whatever 
country,  they  should  be  unalterably  closed  to  the 
idle,  vicious,  criminal  and  pauper  classes  of  all 
countries.  The  problem  of  letting  in  the  worthy 
and  keeping  out  the  unworthy  is  a  most  difficult 
one  and  yet  there  should  be  intelligent  states- 
manship and  patriotism  enough  in  our  land  to 
solve  it  satisfactorily.  It  must  be  solved  or  our 
very  national  life  and  institutions  will  be  in 
danger.  Strict,  discriminating  immigration  laws 
must  be  passed  and  enforced  or  the  results  will 
be  disastrous. 


232  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

The  Presbyterian  Church  from  earliest  times 
has  had  an  interest  in  the  moral  and  spirit- 
ual welfare  of  our  foreign  populations.  Through 
various  agencies  it  has  prosecuted  mission  work 
among  them.  Local  churches  in  our  large  cities, 
presbyteries,  synods,  the  Woman's  Board  and 
the  Board  of  Home  Missions  have  engaged  in  the 
work  of  giving  the  gospel  to  the  foreigners  in 
the  United  States. 

The  local  work  in  our  large  cities  is  interesting 
and  effective.  Many  churches  have  their  mis- 
sions and  their  missionaries ;  others  have  depart- 
ments for  foreign  work  in  their  own  churches. 
An  illustration  of  the  latter  character  is  found  in 
the  Chinese  department  of  the  Sabbath  school 
of  the  Arch  Street  Church  of  Philadelphia,  the 
Rev.  Mervin  J.  Eckels,  D.  D.,  pastor.  In  this  de- 
partment there  are  about  fifty  young  Chinamen. 
A  number  of  the  young  men  have  been  converted 
and  in  life  and  in  death  have  testified  to  the 
genuineness  of  their  faith. 

Presbyterial  and  sy nodical  missionary  work 
among  the  foreigners  may  be  illustrated  by  that 
done  in  the  Synod  of  Pennsylvania.  The  popu- 
lation of  Pennsylvania  is  6,302,115  ;  of  this  num- 
ber, 985,250  are  foreign-born  and  1,430,028  are 
the  children  of  foreign-born  parents  ;  one  per- 
son therefore  in  every  three  is  foreign-born  or 
the  child  of  foreign-born  parents.     This  makes 


THE  FOREIGNERS  233 

a  prolific  field  for  mission  work  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. The  synod  and  presbyteries  have  tried 
to  perform  it  to  the  best  of  their  abilities.  Five 
presbyteries  in  connection  with  the  synodical 
committee  are  engaged  in  this  kind  of  mission 
work.  Allegheny  Presbytery  has  a  flourishing 
French  mission  at  Tarentum,  with  about  one 
hundred  members.  The  same  missionary  has 
been  working  with  success  among  the  Italians  of 
Allegheny.  Blairsville  Presbytery  in  connection 
with  that  of  Pittsburgh  has  a  missionary  among 
the  French  at  Jeanette,  Charleroi,  and  other 
points.  The  same  presbytery  has  a  missionary 
among  the  Slavs  at  Johnstown.  Eedstone  Pres- 
bytery, in  1899,  began  work  among  the  sixteen 
thousand  Slav  miners  and  their  resident  families 
in  the  coke  regions.  The  first  year  the  mission- 
ary made  over  seventeen  hundred  family  visits, 
preached  continually,  distributed  tracts,  read  the 
Scriptures  in  over  six  hundred  homes,  organized 
and  superintended  four  Sabbath  schools  with  an 
enrollment  of  one  hundred  and  ninety-seven,  in 
addition  to  other  work  of  various  other  kinds. 
Lackawanna  Presbytery  has  for  several  years 
been  engaged  in  this  kind  of  missionary  work. 
It  alone  of  all  the  presbyteries  has  a  special 
committee  in  charge  of  this  department.  It  re- 
cently employed  three  missionaries  and  had  over 
fifteen  mission  stations.    Nine  mission  teachers 


234  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

were  engaged  in  the  kindergarten  work.  Two 
churches  have  been  organized  from  over  three 
hundred  members  lately  enrolled  among  the 
Hungarians  by  one  of  the  missionaries.  Le- 
high Presbytery  for  several  years  engaged 
in  foreign  work,  under  the  Home  Board,  among 
the  Italians.  Two  churches  were  organized,  one 
of  them  having  an  enrollment  of  over  one  hun- 
dred. In  1900  this  work  was  transferred  to  the 
synod  from  the  Home  Board.  In  addition  to 
the  work  under  the  direct  care  of  the  synod, 
there  are  many  other  missionaries  and  missions 
among  the  foreign  populations  of  Pennsylvania 
under  the  supervision  of  local  churches.  These 
are  chiefly  among  the  Italians,  Bohemians,  and 
Slavs.  The  Presbyteries  of  Pittsburgh  and  Alle- 
gheny organized  Slavonic  colportage,  in  January, 
1902.  Three  Slavonic  colporteurs  are  engaged  in 
the  work.  In  their  first  month's  work  in  January, 
they  visited  six  hundred  and  thirty-five  families, 
including  with  boarders,  three  thousand  nine 
hundred  and  twenty-one  men,  six  hundred  and 
seventy-two  women,  eleven  hundred  and  twenty- 
nine  children.  Their  sales  were  one  hundred  and 
six  dollars  and  sixteen  cents,  of  which  fourteen 
dollars  were  of  Polish  and  Bohemian  tracts,  tlie 
rest  being  Scriptures.  Their  supplies  are  both 
from  British  and  American  sources,  unexcelled 
by  any  in  the  world. 


THE   FOREIGNERS  235 

The  Board  of  Home  Missions  has  always 
prosecuted  mission  work  among  the  foreign 
popukition  in  the  United  States  up  to  its  ability. 
The  reports  of  the  Board  to  the  General  As- 
sembly for  years  back  show  an  interest  in  this 
work  and  an  appreciation  of  its  value  and  im- 
portance. 

In  1850  the  foreign  population  of  the  United 
States  was  2,244,002  in  a  total  population  of  23,- 
191,876.  The  work  of  the  Home  Board  was 
limited  to  the  Germans,  Hollanders,  French,  and 
Welsh.  In  1855  the  work  consisted  of  eight 
German  churches  and  one  each  among  the  other 
three  nationalities. 

In  1860  the  alien  population  had  increased  to 
4,138,697  in  a  total  of  31,443,321.  The  work 
of  the  Board  had  also  considerably  increased. 
In  1861  it  consisted  of  twenty-seven  churches 
among  the  Germans,  three  among  the  French, 
and  one  among  the  Welsh.  In  1867  the  report 
of  the  Board  to  the  General  Assembly  said : 
"  Foreign  immigration  is  still  unabated.  To 
give  them  schools  and  churches,  to  diffuse  among 
them  the  leaven  of  a  pure  and  elevating  gospel, 
and  by  all  means  in  our  hands  to  save  and  bless 
them,  will  fall  in  with  the  high  purposes  of  God." 

In  1870  the  foreign  population  was  5,567,229 
in  a  total  of  38,558,371.  Our  mission  work  at 
that  time  consisted  of  eight  churches  among  the 


236  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

foreigners  in  the  cities  and  four  among  the  Ger- 
mans and  four  Hollandish  missionary  churches 
outside  the  cities.  In  1874  it  was  reported, 
"  The  Board  is  giving  increasing  attention  to 
mission  work  among  the  Germans,  French,  Span- 
ish, Hollanders,  Scandinavians,  and  Chinese-speak- 
ing people."  In  1876  missions  were  conducted 
among  the  "  Hollanders,  Swedish,  Welsh,  Nor- 
wegians, French,  Portuguese,  Spanish,  Bohe- 
mians, and  Chinese."  In  1878  work  had  also  been 
begun  among  the  Gaels  and  Waldenses. 

In  1880  the  foreign  population  amounted  to 
6,679,943  in  a  total  population  of  50,155,783. 
Our  work  was  still  largely  among  the  Germans. 
Two  theological  seminaries  for  the  education  of 
German  ministers  had  been  established.  They 
are  still  doing  good  work.  One  is  located  at 
Bloomfield,  New  Jersey,  and  the  other  at 
Dubuque,  Iowa.  In  1886  one  ordained  minister 
and  two  licentiates  began  work  among  the 
Scandinavians.  In  1887  it  was  reported  that 
"  work  among  the  foreign  population  and  the 
evangelization  of  the  cities  that  seem  to  go 
hand  in  hand  has  gained  interest  during  the 
year." 

In  1890  out  of  a  total  population  of  63,069,756, 
the  foreigners  numbered  9,308,104.  New  churches 
w^ere  organized  this  year  among  the  Scandina- 
vians, Bohemians,  and   Germans,  and    a  young 


THE   FOREIGNERS  237 

Spanish  missionary  was  set  to  work  among  the 
Spanish-speaking  people  of  New  York.  In  1891 
a  new  German  church  was  organized  in  Texas. 
In  1892  the  German  work  had  increased  until  there 
were  in  our  country  "  more  than  160  German 
churches  in  connection  with  the  General  Assem- 
bly, and  133  German  ministers."  These  were,  of 
course,  not  all  under  the  Home  Board.  The  Ger- 
man theological  seminaries  had  eighty  students, 
and  two  religious  German  papers  had  been 
established.  "Work  among  the  Scandinavians  in 
Minnesota,  and  the  Swedes  in  Minneapolis  and 
St.  Paul,  was  being  prosecuted.  Churches  with 
promising  beginnings  were  organized  among  the 
Bohemians  in  Omaha,  Cedar  Kapids,  Baltimore, 
Milwaukee,  Manitowoc  County,  "Wisconsin,  and 
Sanders  County,  Nebraska.  In  the  same  year, 
1892,  small  beginnings  were  made  among  the 
Italian  population  of  Pennsylvania.  In  1896  we 
had  "mission  churches  among  about  thirty  differ- 
ent nationalities  of  foreigners  in  our  country." 
Italian  churches  had  recently  been  organized  in 
five  different  states.  The  work  among  the 
Poles  and  Bohemians,  begun  in  St.  Louis  in  1856, 
had  extended  into  eleven  states. 

In  1900  our  foreign  population  had  increased  to 
10,460,085  in  a  total  population  of  76,303,387. 
The  Board,  as  it  has  had  the  ability,  has  vigorously 
carried  forward  its  work ;  and  there  are  to-day 


238  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

under  the  care  of  the  Board  the  following 
churches  among  the  foreign  populations  of  our 
country : — 

German  churches  in  Wisconsin,  Minnesota,  South  Dakota, 

Iowa,  Missouri,  Nebraska,  Colorado,  and  Oregon  ...  29 
Holland  churches  in  Wisconsin,  South  Dakota,  Montana, 

and  Iowa 8 

Bohemian  churches  in  Wisconsin,  Minnesota,  South  Dakota, 

Iowa,  Nebraska,  and  Kansas 14 

French  churches  in  Wisconsin 4 

Swedish  churches  in  ISIiunesota 2 

Dano-Norwegian  church  in  Minnesota 1 

Armenian  church  in  California 1 

Jewish  mission  in  California 1 

Chinese  missions  in  California  (Oakland  Presbytery). 

Bohemian  mission  teacher  in  Minnesota 1 

Mission  teachers  among  foreigners  in  Chicago 10 

In  comparison  to  the  needs  of  the  untouched 
millions  the  work  is  small,  but  in  comparison 
with  the  meager  facilities  of  the  Board,  it  is  a 
great  and  growing  work. 

The  Woman's  Board  of  Home  Missions  has 
also  a  part  in  the  mission  work  among  our 
foreigners.  Their  work  consists  of  schools, 
chiefly  in  Chicago,  Minnesota,  and  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

The  Chicago  work  consists  of  five  schools. 
These  schools  employ  fifteen  teachers,  and  are 
training  nearly  seven  hundred  scholars.  The  total 
expense  is  about  $3,500.     The  Olivet  Memorial 


THE   FOREIGNERS  239 

School  was  organized  in  1894.  It  is  situated 
near  a  district  long  known  as  "  Little  Hell,"  Avhich 
has  since  changed  its  character  very  much.  Miss 
K.  C.  Eeyer  is  the  principal.  Seventy  per  cent 
of  the  children  are  German,  thirty  per  cent 
Swedish,  with  a  few  Polish  and  Irish  children. 
The  West  Division  Street  School  was  established 
in  1895.  The  settlement  is  largely  German, 
Avith  a  strong  Jewish  element.  There  are  six 
teachers  and  one  hundred  and  ten  pupils  in  this 
school.  The  "West  Superior  Street  School  was 
opened  in  1897.  It  is  carried  on  in  the  Girls' 
Mutual  Benefit  Club  building.  Evanston  young 
women  bear  all  the  expenses  of  this  school.  The 
school  through  the  efforts  of  the  principal,  Miss 
Williamson,  is  reaching  the  mothers  as  well  as 
the  children.  The  Immanuel  Kindergarten  was 
organized  in  the  Immanuel  Church  in  1899.  The 
neighborhood  is  chiefly  Koman  Catholic,  and  ten 
different  nationalities  are  represented — French, 
English,  Irish,  Scotch,  Polish,  Kussian,  Dutch, 
German,  Swedish,  and  Bohemian.  This  kinder- 
garten has  two  teachers  and  fifty  pupils.  The 
Industrial  School  is  held  in  three  of  these  once  a 
week.  Religious  exercises  are  regularly  con- 
ducted. A  trained  sewing-school  teacher  is  in 
charge  of  the  industrial  work. 

The  woman's  work  in  Minnesota   is   at  New 
Prague,   among    the    Bohemians.      One    Bible- 


jfe* 


240  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

reader  is  engaged  in  the  work  and  a  Sunday- 
school  of  fifty  scholars  has  been  organized.  The 
mission  is  prospering.  Mainly  through  the  efforts 
of  Mr.  Sulzer,  the  superintendent  of  Sunday- 
school  work  in  Minnesota,  funds  were  raised  for 
the  building  of  the  chapel  in  which  the  varied 
work  of  the  mission  is  carried  on. 

The  Pennsylvania  work  is  the  latest  engaged 
in  by  the  Woman's  Board.  It  is  among  the 
children  of  the  laboring  classes  in  the  coal-min- 
ing districts  of  Pennsylvania.  The  field  here  is 
unlimited  and  promises  great  results. 

The  presence  of  these  thousands  of  alien,  and 
mostly  unchristian,  populations  in  our  midst  is 
a  providence  as  well  as  a  danger.  It  thus  gives 
us  a  "  home-foreign  "  mission  field.  If  we  are 
called  upon  to  send  the  gospel  to  foreigners  in 
their  homes,  an  infinitely  greater  obligation  rests 
upon  us  to  preach  to  them  in  our  own  land. 
God  in  this  way  has  placed  them  at  our  doors  as 
the  man  lame  from  his  birth  was  placed  at  the 
Beautiful  Gate  of  the  temple  to  be  healed  by  the 
apostles  on  their  way  to  observe  the  hour  of  prayer. 
Our  aim  should  be  to  heal  them  spiritually  as  the 
apostles  healed  the  lame  man  physically.  In  so 
doing  we  will  be  rendering  an  inestimable  service 
to  our  country  ;  we  will  be  raising  up  many  who 
will  go  back  to  their  own  lands  as  missionaries  ; 
we  will  be  adding  new  glories  to  the  kingdom  of 


THE   FOREIGNERS  241 

Christ  and  turning  many  to  righteousness  which 
shall  add  to  our  own  happiness  :  for,  "  They  that 
turn  many  to  righteousness  shall  shine  as  the 
stars  forever  and  ever." 


IX 

THE  ISLANDERS 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE  ISLANDEES 

Peesbyterian  island  home-mission  work  be- 
gan in  1899.  It  was  one  of  the  results  of 
the  Spanish-American  War.  This  war  left  as 
a  special  legacy  to  the  Christian  Church  of 
America  the  moral  and  spiritual  care  of  thou- 
sands of  former  Spanish  subjects.  Our  Board  of 
Home  Missions  responded  to  this  opportunity 
and  duty  and  began  work  in  Porto  Rico  and 
Cuba,  which  have  become  its  particular  island 
fields.  Thus  was  inaugurated  a  new  era  in  Pres- 
byterian home  missions  which  hitherto  had  been 
limited  to  the  continent. 

Porto  Rico  is  in  the  Caribbean  Sea,  1,400  miles 
from  New  York  city  and  1,000  miles  from  Key 
"West.  It^area  is  3,600  square  miles  or  about 
one-half  the  area  of  New  Jersey.  It  is  one  of 
the  most  thickly  populated  districts  in  the  world, 
having  a  population  of  nearly  1,000,000  of  people. 

Porto  Rico  was  discovered  by  Christopher 
Columbus  in  1493,  while  on  his  second  voyage  to 
America.  The  natives  had  a  civilization  of  their 
own,  and  numbered  about  300,000.     Ponce  de 

245 


246  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

Leon  visited  the  island  in  1508,  and  he  and  his 
successive  Spanish  rulers  have  governed  and 
pillaged  it  eyer  since. 

Porto  Eico  is  the  most  eastern  of  the  Greater 
Antilles  in  the  West  Indies,  It  is  the  only  land 
in  the  world  shaped  like  a  brick.  Over  one-half 
of  the  population  is  white,  and  the  remainder  is 
distributed  between  the  mulattoes  and  negroes. 
Slavery  was  abolished  in  18Y3. 

The  island  is  divided  for  administration  pur- 
poses into  seven  provinces  of  nearly  equal  size. 
They  are  Aguadilla,  Mayaguez,  Arecibo,  Ponce, 
Bayamon,  Guayama,  and  Humacao.  The  island 
is  traversed,  east  and  west,  by  a  mountain  range 
which  divides  it  unequally.  Though  the  island 
is  remarkably  fertile  and  healthful  there  is  a 
great  barrenness  in  flora  and  fauna,  flowers, 
birds,  and  wild  animals,  being  exceedingly  scarce. 
"  Nevertheless,  the  entire  domain  is  one  of  the 
loveliest  to  which  man  is  heir,  and  there  is  such 
an  irresistible  fascination  about  it  that  one  who 
has  lived  there  finds  that  it  tears  his  heartstrings 
to  be  transplanted.  It  grows  upon  one,  and 
though  at  one's  first  coming  there  seems  to  be 
much  disappointment,  after  a  time  this  gives 
way  to  admiration,  which  is  gradually  super- 
seded by  affection.  Something  about  the  envi- 
ronment— or  it  may  be  many  things — conspire  to 
make  one,  not  speedily,  but  gradually,  reverse 


THE  ISLANDEES  24Y 

the  first  impression,  and  lo,  and  behold !  you 
out-Herod  Herod  in  your  infelt,  if  not  outspoken, 
admiration.  Gazing  upon  the  unbroken  forests 
which  cover  the  tropical  hills,  you  feel  that  the 
world  is,  indeed,  well  lost  while  your  lines  are 
cast  in  such  pleasant  places." 

The  most  of  the  population  is  on  the  lowlands 
at  the  sea  front,  since,  for  lack  of  roads,  the  in- 
terior is  very  inaccessible.  The  principal  minerals 
found  on  the  island  are  gold,  carbonides  and  sul- 
phides of  copper,  and  magnetic  oxide  of  iron  in 
large  quantities.  Marbles  and  limestones,  unde- 
veloped, abound.  Salt  works,  the  principal  min- 
eral industry,  exist  in  two  places.  Hot  springs 
and  mineral  waters  are  found.  The  climate  is  hot, 
but  made  endurable  by  prevailing  northeast 
winds.  The  rainy  season  lasts  from  August  to 
December.  Five  hundred  varieties  of  trees  are 
found  in  the  forests.  The  plains  are  full  of 
palms,  oranges,  and  other  trees.  Sugar,  coffee, 
tobacco,  cotton,  maize,  bananas,  rice,  and  pine- 
apples, form  the  principal  products. 

San  Juan,  the  principal  city  and  capital  of 
Porto  Eico,  was  founded  in  1511  by  Ponce  de 
Leon.  His  "  "White  House  "  still  exists,  and  his 
ashes  rest  in  a  leaden  casket  in  the  Dominican 
church  of  the  city.  Morro  Castle,  on  a  rugged 
promontory  many  hundreds  of  feet  high,  guards 
the  entrance  to  the  harbor. 


24:8  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

San  Juan  is  medieval  in  its  structure.  It  is 
entirely  -walled,  with  portcullis,  moats,  gates,  and 
battlements,  all  in  good  repair.  It  bas  no  water 
system  and  no  industries  worth  mentioning. 
San  Juan  is  our  best  representative  of  a  medieval 
city.  In  municipal  conveniences  it  is  hundreds 
of  years  behind  our  day.  But  "  the  suburb  and 
vicinage  are  so  lovely  that,  if  a  man  were  taught 
how  to  appreciate  his  advantages,  San  Juan  could 
be  called  the  emporium  of  the  Isles  of  the  Blessed. 
Its  climate,  though  warm,  is  for  half  a  year  not 
disagreeably  so,  but  in  the  remainder,  through 
sudden  changes,  pulmonic  affections  are  to  be 
dreaded.  Epidemics,  though  frequent,  would 
never  disturb  San  Juan  under  improved  sanita- 
tion." 

Ponce  is  the  second  city  in  size  and  importance 
in  Porto  Rico.  It  is  in  the  province  of  Ponce  on 
the  south  coast  and  about  two  miles  inland.  It 
is  more  modern  than  San  Juan  but  not  less  pic- 
turesque. Its  chief  industries  are  the  cultivation 
of  tobacco,  sugar,  cocoa,  and  oranges,  and  cattle- 
breeding.  "  Its  port,  Playa,  with  5,000  popula- 
tion, contains  the  customhouse  and  consular 
offices.  The  harbor,  a  commodious  one,  will 
float  large  ships.  The  climate,  though  warm,  is 
tempered  by  sea  breezes,  and  these  make  Ponce 
and  Playa  the  healthiest  towns  of  Porto  Rico." 

Mayaguez   is   the   third   city   in    importance. 


THE  ISLANDERS  249 

"  Nearly  20,000  people  dwell  here,  mostly  white. 
This  climate,  too,  is  considered  excellent,  the 
temperature  never  rising  beyond  90°.  Mayaguez 
exports  coffee,  sugar,  oranges,  pineapples,  and 
cocoanuts. 

"  The  remaining  prominent  cities,  Arecibo, 
Aguadilla,  Fajardo,  Maguabo,  and  Arroyo,  have 
developed  very  slowly  under  Spanish  misrule. 
But  now,  freed  from  maleficent  influences,  there 
should  be  phenomenal  progress." 

The  people  of  Porto  Eico  are  of  diverse  char- 
acteristics and  capabilities.  The  pure  Spanish 
descendants  are  aristocratic,  educated,  chivalrous, 
and  proud,  lovers  of  good  music,  happy  in  their 
domestic  relations,  bountiful  in  hospitality,  and 
loyal  to  Spain.  The  Porto  Eicans  are  opposed  to 
any  work  that  is  not  absolutely  necessary.  The 
climate  is  productive  both  of  crops  and  of  lazi- 
ness. Great  poverty  prevails  among  the  natives. 
Entertainments  are  much  sought  after.  Sunday 
is  a  gala  day.  Church  comes  in  the  early  morn- 
ing ;  picnics  and  recreations  of  all  kinds  in  the 
afternoon.  The  costumes  of  both  sexes  in  Porto 
Eico  are  but  little  different  from  American  sum- 
mer attire,  except  that  the  women  seldom  wear 
any  head  clothing. 

In  the  Spanish-American  "War  of  1898,  Porto 
Eico  was  visited  in  May  by  the  American  fleet, 
under  Admiral  Sampson,  looking  for  Admiral 


250  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

Cervera.  In  July,  after  the  destruction  of  the 
Spanish  fleet  and  the  surrender  of  Santiago,  Gen- 
eral Miles,  with  a  portion  of  the  American  army, 
invaded  Porto  Rico  at  Guanica  and  met  with 
little  resistance.  By  many  of  the  people  he  was 
enthusiastically  received  and  the  Stars  and  Stripes 
were  generally  displayed.  The  United  States 
took  formal  and  complete  possession  of  the 
island  October  18,  1898.  Though  the  consent  of 
the  people  was  not  asked  the  great  majority  of 
Porto  Picans  desired  annexation  to  the  United 
States. 

Progress  in  Porto  Rico  under  American  ad- 
ministration has  been  marked  with  encourage- 
ment. Direct  taxation,  the  blight  of  the  Spanish 
rule,  has  been  abolished.  Free  public  schools  on 
the  American  plan  were  established  July  1, 1899. 
In  the  autumn  of  1899,  municipal  elections  for 
the  first  time  were  held  and  trial  by  jury  was  in- 
troduced. United  States  money  is  being  grad- 
ually substituted  for  Spanish  silver.  By  act  of 
Congress  a  definite  civil  government  went  into 
effect  for  Porto  Rico,  May  1, 1900.  Hon.  Charles 
H.  Allen,  of  Massachusetts,  was  appointed  the 
first  Governor.  The  form  of  government  resem- 
bles that  of  our  territories  with  some  exceptions. 
The  Governor  and  an  Executive  Council  are  ap- 
pointed by  the  President.  A  Legislative  Assem- 
bly is  partly  elected  by  the  people  and  a  resident 


THE  ISLANDERS  251 

Qpmraissioner  represents  the  island  at  Washing- 
ton. Governor  Allen  was  encouragingly  re- 
ceived by  the  people  and  proved  a  capable  and 
efficient  administrative  officer. 

Catholicism  during  the  centuries  of  Spanish 
rule  has  been  supreme  in  Porto  Kico.  Every 
town  has  its  plaza,  with  a  church  on  one  side. 
Some  of  these  churches  are  several  centuries  old. 
But  Catholicism  has  long  since  lost  its  hold  upon 
the  Porto  Kican  masses,  and  the  churches  to-day 
are  practically  empty.  These  conditions  are  the 
results  of  the  realization  on  the  part  of  the  peo- 
ple of  the  worthlessness  of  the  Church  and  its 
work.  "  It  has  come  to  that  people  that  the 
Church  in  the  centuries  past  has  done  nothing  to 
help  them.  Poor,  ignorant,  and  miserable,  as  it 
found  them,  it  left  them,  and  a  sense  of  the 
emptiness  of  its  unintelligible  forms  has  dawned 
upon  them.  So  the  Eoman  Catholic  Church  of 
Spain,  holding  sway  in  Porto  Eico,  through 
four  centuries  has  kept  that  million  people  in 
such  absolute  ignorance  that  not  fifteen  per  cent 
can  read  or  write ;  she  has  kept  them  in  a  land 
that  will  yield  two  or  three  harvests  a  year,  in 
poverty  and  in  squalor ;  she  has  lived  and  taught 
on  a  plane  of  morals  so  low  that  purity  of  family 
life  is  but  little  regarded  and  from  the  people  is 
taken  all  the  reality  of  the  religion  of  Christ ; 
and  she  has  so  conducted  herself  as  to  drive  a 


252  PRESBYTEEIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

large  part  of  the  men  of  the  island  into  practicaj 
infidelity." 

Protestantism  as  well  as  Americanism  received 
a  welcome  on  the  island  of  Porto  Rico.  Plans 
were  speedily  put  into  operation  for  taking  ad- 
vantage of  the  favorable  situation.  In  the  fall 
of  1899  the  home  missionaries  of  the  different 
denominations  had  a  meeting'.  A  message  was 
sent  to  the  Porto  Ricans  in  Spanish  announcing 
their  intention  of  coming  to  the  island,  not  in 
rivalry,  but  as  brothers  to  help  them  to  Christ. 
In  a  general  way  a  division  of  the  territory  was 
made  among  the  denominations,  but  San  Juan, 
the  capital,  and  Ponce  were  left  as  open  territory 
to  any  denomination.  Thus  at  San  Juan  the  Pres- 
byterians, Baptists,  Methodists,  Lutherans,  and 
others,  are  at  work.  Elsewhere  the  work  is  dis- 
tributed to  the  best  advantage. 

Presbyterian  mission  work  in  Porto  Eico  be- 
gan in  July,  1899.  The  first  missionary  was 
Rev.  Milton  E.  Caldwell,  of  Cincinnati,  who  had 
a  masterful  knowledge  of  the  Spanish  language 
and  was  able  to  begin  his  work  without  delay. 
Mayaguez  was  the  first  field  of  labor  selected. 
The  services  have  been  crowded  from  the  very 
first.  The  people  to  whom  the  Bible  has  hitherto 
been  a  closed  book  are  anxious  to  take  advantage 
of  their  opportunity  to  have  it  explained  to  them, 
and   large  audiences  can  be  gathered  together 


THE  ISLANDERS  253 

upon  short  notice.  The  work  prospered,  and  a 
church — the  first  Presbyterian  church  in  Porto 
Eico — was  organized  in  April,  1900.  Eleven 
members  were  enrolled,  and  the  work  has  been 
steadily  growing.  La  Playa,  the  shipping  dis- 
trict of  Mayaguez,  next  attracted  the  attention 
of  Dr.  Caldwell,  and  he  opened  a  mission  there. 
It  is  in  charge  of  his  assistant.  Rev.  Joseph  W. 
Jarvis.  Besides  these  flourishing  churches  in 
the  city,  occasional  services  are  held  in  the  three 
neighboring  towns  of  Las  Marias,  Anasco,  and 
Maricao. 

The  Woman's  Board,  believing  that  the  hope 
of  Porto  Rico  is  in  the  children,  started  a  school 
in  Mayaguez  about  the  same  time.  About 
seventy  boys  and  girls  are  being  educated  in  this 
school.  Miss  Jennie  Ordway  is  the  principal. 
The  other  teachers  are  Miss  Margaret  Heyer,  W 
Miss  Anna  Monefeldt,  and  Miss  Mary  L.  "Wilson. 
These  ladies  have  also  started  a  school  at  La 
Playa,  assisted  by  Miss  Mary  F.  Tompkins. 

At  Aguadilla — a  short  distance  north  of  Maya- 
guez— Rev.  Judson  L.  Underwood  began  work 
in  April,  1900.  Aguadilla  is  an  ancient  city  on 
the  west  coast  of  the  island.  It  is  an  historic 
spot,  for  here  Columbus  landed  on  his  second 
voyage  to  America,  in  1493.  The  population  is 
about  8,000.  The  mission  has  been  remarkably 
prosperous.      Two  hundred  people  attend    the 


254  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

prayer  meeting,  and  one  liundred  a  Monday  night 
catechism  class.  The  first  Presbyterian  church 
of  Aguadilla  was  organized  with  a  membership 
of  sixty-two  in  February,  1901.  Mr.  Underwood 
is  also  holding  services  in  five  out-stations — one 
of  them  fifteen  miles  away.  They  are  San 
Sebastian,  Moca,  Espinal,  Aguada,  and  the  barrio 
Montana.  Hundreds  gladly  gather  to  hear  the 
gospel  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  Catholic 
priests  do  all  in  their  power  to  keep  them  from 
the  services. 

The  Woman's  Board  has  also  opened  a  school 
at  Aguadilla.  It  is  in  charge  of  Miss  Annie  T. 
Aitken,  of  Illinois,  and  Miss  Blanche  Love,  of 
Maryland,  and  has  an  attendance  of  about  forty 
pupils. 

The  San  Juan  mission  was  opened  in  1900,  the 
Rev.  J.  Milton  Greene,  D.  D.,  being  the  first 
missionary  to  the  capital  city.  Dr.  Greene  suc- 
ceeded in  erecting  a  substantial  and  attractive 
building  at  a  cost  of  over  $7,000  in  his  first  year's 
labors.  This  building  was  the  first  Protestant 
church  building  in  Porto  Rico.  The  first  Presby- 
terian church  of  San  Juan  was  organized  in 
January,  1901.  Dr.  Greene  having  been  called 
to  organize  the  work  in  Cuba,  the  Rev.  J.  Knox 
Hall  took  charge  of  the  San  Juan  church  in  the 
summer  of  1901,  At  La  Marina,  a  shore  ward 
in  the  city,  a  station  has  been  opened  where  reg- 


THE  ISLANDERS  255 

ular  services  are  being  held  and  a  mission  school 
conducted  by  Miss  Lucie  A.  Buttertield  and  Miss 
Sarah  Potter.  Rev.  H.  L.  Jason,  colored,  is  doing 
good  Tvork  among  his  people  in  San  Juan. 

The  Woman's  Board  opened  a  medical  mission 
at  San  Juan,  in  January,  1901.  Dr.  Grace  "Wil- 
liams Atkins,  a  physician  of  experience  in  JSTew 
York  city,  began  dispensary  work  and  general 
practice  among  the  poor  people  of  the  First 
Church,  This  phase  of  the  work  has  met  with 
great  success.  Dr.  Atkins  has  been  overwhelmed 
from  the  very  start  with  applications  for  medical 
and  Christian  aid. 

A  hospital  at  San  Juan  is  an  imperative  neces- 
sity and  a  movement  in  this  direction  has  already 
been  begun.  In  August,  1901,  a  call  was  issued 
by  the  Home  Board  to  the  young  people  of  the 
Church  asking  them  to  raise  $8,000  as  a  "  special " 
for  this  purpose,  which  will  undoubtedly  be  done. 
In  speaking  of  Dr.  Atkins'  work  after  a  visit  to 
Porto  Rico,  Dr.  John  Dixon,  of  the  Home  Board 
said :  "  A  recent  visit  to  San  Juan,  Porto  Rico, 
enabled  me  to  accompany  Dr.  Grace  Atkins  in 
one  of  her  rounds  in  visiting  the  sick.  It  was  an 
exceedingly  interesting  experience,  as  sad,  how- 
ever, as  stimulating. 

"  Poverty  seems  to  have  a  new  meaning  in 
that  island  when  we  consider  the  places  in 
which  the  poorest  people  live,  and  the  utter  lack 


266  PRESBYTERIAlSr  HOME  MISSIONS 

of  the  most  necessary  comforts  and  conveniences 
of  life.  One  can  be  as  sick  and  as  miserable, 
and  as  much  in  need  of  the  help  of  a  physician 
and  the  accommodations  of  the  hospital,  whose 
only  home  is  a  shack  in  Porto  Kico,  as  in  any 
other  place  in  this  round  world.  The  young 
people  of  our  Church  would  make  prompt  re- 
sponse to  the  appeal  for  a  modest  hospital  if 
they  could  see,  but  for  a  single  hour,  the  depth 
of  misery,  and  the  entire  absence  of  hope  or  help 
unless  these  sick  people  are  reached  through  our 
agency. 

"  Dr.  Atkins  sees  from  sixty  to  seventy  people 
a  day,  reads  the  Scriptures  to  them,  prescribes 
for  them,  visits  many  of  them  in  their  homes,  and 
is  an  angel  of  mercy  to  many  a  sick  body  and 
weary  heart. 

"The  San  Juan  hospital  appeals  to  philan- 
throphy  as  well  as  the  love  of  the  Saviour.  It  is 
missionary  work  in  a  very  necessary,  helpful  and 
blessed  form,  and  the  new  year  ought  to  witness 
this  charity  erected  and  put  in  the  way  of  doing 
the  most  good."  In  1902  two  additional  mis- 
sionaries were  commissioned  for  the  western  part 
of  the  island,  Mr.  Lopez  (native)  to  assist  Mr.  Un- 
derwood at  Mayaguez  and  Eev.  James  McAllis- 
ter to  begin  work  at  Isabella  and  out-stations. 
Our  only  inland  mission  is  San  German.  For  a 
time  one  of  the  out-stations  of  Dr.  Caldwell,  it 


THE  ISLANDERS  257 

was  made  a  separate  mission  in  1901  when  the 
Eev.  James  Greer  Woods,  of  Dubuque,  Iowa,  be- 
gan regular  services  there.  No  more  important 
interior  town  can  claim  missionar}'  service. 

After  less  than  three  years  we  have  in 
Porto  Eico  to-day,  three  organized  churches, 
eight  missionaries,  a  dozen  out-stations,  four 
schools,  eight  teachers  and  a  medical  mission, — a 
most  creditable  work  for  the  time  in  which  it  has 
been  wrought. 

Cuba 

Cuba,  "  the  pearl  of  the  Antilles  "  may  well  be 
mentioned  in  connection  with  our  Porto  Kican 
mission  work.  Though  independent,  Cuba's  rela- 
tion to  the  United  States  is  a  most  intimate  one, 
and  at  no  great  future  date  she  is  very  likely 
to  become,  at  her  own  request,  a  part  of  our 
national  domain.  Our  first  missionary  to  Cuba 
was  Rev.  Pedro  Rioseco,  sent  out  from  Phila. 
delphia  to  Havana  by  the  Board  of  Publication 
and  Sabbath-School  Work. 

The  Home  Board  began  work  in  Cuba  by 
sending  the  Rev.  J.  Milton  Greene,  D.  D.,  to 
Havana  in  the  autumn  of  1901.  With  him  went 
the  Rev.  Herbert  S.  Harris  and  the  Rev.  A. 
Waldo  Stevenson,  young  men  who  were  anxious 
to  give  their  lives  to  work  in  Cuba  and  who  were 
to  learn  the  Spanish  language  under  the  direction 


258  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME  MISSIONS 

of  Dr.  Greene,  meantime  assisting  him  in  the 
services.  The  Woman's  Board  sent  out  at  the 
same  time  Miss  Mabel  Bristow,  who  has  opened 
a  school  in  Havana  with  encouraging  success. 
The  Kev.  Antonio  Mazzorana,  a  native  Spaniard, 
was  also  commissioned  as  one  of  the  Board's 
missionaries  and  he  and  Dr.  Greene  have  charge 
of  two  preaching  places  in  Havana. 

The  Kev.  A.  Waldo  Stevenson  is  at  Guines,  a 
town  of  about  twelve  thousand  population.  The 
opening  services  were  crowded,  as  many  being 
without  as  within  the  house.  The  respectful  at- 
tention of  the  audience,  who  were  composed  of 
the,  best  people  of  the  town,  was  marked  and  sig- 
nificant. 

The  Rev.  Herbert  S.  Harris  has  taken  charge  of 
a  station  at  Sancti  Spiritus,  a  town  of  twelve  thou- 
sand population  in  the  city  proper  with  eight  or 
ten  thousand  more  in  its  environs,  offering  a  cor- 
dial welcome  and  unique  opportunities  for  the 
entrance  of  missionary  labor.  It  has  always  been 
a  center  of  wealth  and  social  influence,  and  for  a 
long  time  was  the  seat  of  a  superior  Jesuit  school. 
In  neither  of  these  large  towns  is  there  any  other 
Protestant  work. 

Porto  Rico  and  Cuba  present  to  the  American 
Christian  Church  the  rarest  opportunities  for  mis- 
sion work  that  could  possibly  be  imagined.  The 
prophecy  that  "  the  isles  shall  wait  for  his  law  " 


THE  ISLANDERS  259 

is  signally  fulfilled  in  them.  These  isles,  so  unex- 
pectedly placed  under  the  care  of  our  nation,  are 
waiting  for  his  law,  and  as  Christians,  we  should 
not  be  slow  in  granting  their  desire.  American 
business,  industrial,  educational  and  governmental 
ideas  are  being  rapidly  introduced  among  these 
thousands  of  islanders.  The  Christian  Church 
should  not  be  behind  the  political  and  commer- 
cial world  in  advancing  its  interests  and  in- 
fluences among  these  needy  and  waiting  peoples. 
Christ's  kingdom  should  be  extended  until  "he 
shall  have  dominion  from  sea  to  sea  and  from 
the  river  to  the  ends  of  the  earth." 


X 

THE  GKEAT  WEST 


204  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

Mexico  is  larger  than  the  United  Kingdom  of 
Great  Britain  and  Ireland.  The  greatest  meas- 
urement of  Texas  is  nearly  equal  to  the  distance 
from  New  Orleans  to  Chicago,  or  from  Chicago 
to  Boston.  Lay  Texas  on  the  face  of  Europe, 
and  this  giant,  with  its  head  resting  on  the 
mountains  of  Norway  (directly  east  of  the  Orkney 
Islands),  with  one  palm  covering  London,  the 
other  Warsaw,  would  stretch  himself  down  across 
the  kingdom  of  Denmark,  across  the  empires  of 
Germany  and  Austria,  across  northern  Italy,  and 
lave  his  feet  in  the  Mediterranean.  Dakota 
might  be  carved  into  a  half  dozen  kingdoms  of 
Greece ;  or,  if  it  were  divided  into  twenty-six 
equal  counties,  we  might  lay  down  the  two  king- 
doms of  Judah  and  Israel  in  each." 

The  religious  needs  of  the  West  are  also  great. 
It  is  more  and  more  becoming  the  home  of  the 
foreigner  who  comes  to  our  land  with  his  irre- 
ligious and  unchristian  ideas  and  practices.  The 
readiness  with  which  people  leaving  Christian 
homes  and  Christian  communities  become  indif- 
ferent to  all  religious  work  and  worship  under 
the  changed  conditions  of  the  West  is  also  an  im- 
portant factor.  Many  who  miss  their  religious 
opportunities  are  compelled  to  forego  them  be- 
cause of  the  sparsely  settled  conditions  of  the 
country  which  make  stated  religious  Avorship  and 
work  impossible.     The  result  is  that  many  west- 


THE   GREAT  WEST  265 

ern  fields  to-day,  are  as  needy  of  the  church  and 
tlie  gospel  as  can  be  found.  There  are  districts 
in  the  West  occupied  by  many  people  where 
there  is  not  a  church  of  any  denomination.  One 
of  our  synodical  missionaries  was  recently  visited 
by  a  lady  who  begged  that  a  mission  be  estab- 
lished in  the  community  in  which  she  lived. 
Though  raised  in  a  Christian  community  in  the 
East  she  had  been  for  fourteen  years  in  the  West 
without  having  the  opportunity  to  attend  a 
church  service  or  to  hear  a  sermon.  In  one 
western  State,  in  1901,  the  Presbyterian  Church 
entered  seven  regions  in  which  up  to  that  time 
no  church  of  any  kind  had  been  doing  any  re- 
ligious work.  They  were  simply  destitute.  The 
entire  Protestant  force  of  one  county  in  Oregon, 
a  county  which  is  a  quarter  larger  than  the  whole 
State  of  New  Jersey,  consists  of  one  Presbyterian 
and  one  Baptist  minister.  Yet  there  are  thou- 
sands of  people  living  in  the  country.  In  another 
western  district  our  Church  recently  placed  a  mis- 
sionary in  a  community  of  one  thousand  people, 
who  will  preach  in  four  different  places  covering 
about  twenty  square  miles  of  territory  and  in  none 
of  these  will  he  interfere  with  any  other  church, 
for  no  other  church  is  to  be  found  there.  Nor, 
are  these  exceptional  cases ;  and  they  prove  to  us 
conclusively  the  pressing  religious  needs  of  the 
West. 


266  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

The  character  of  the  people  of  the  West  em- 
phasizes the  importance  of  mission  work  in  these 
localities.  The  vast  majority  are  eastern  people, 
and  more  than  that,  they  are  eastern  men.  The 
Atlantic  states  show  a  large  excess  of  females 
over  males,  but  the  Pacific  states  show  a  large 
excess  of  males  over  females.  Eastern  men  are 
therefore  the  principal  element  in  the  settlement 
of  the  West ;  and  as  Dr.  Arthur  J.  Brown  says  : 
"  They  are  a  good  class  of  men,  too.  Many  of 
them  are  intelligent  farmers,  who,  tired  of 
struggling  against  impoverished  soil,  rigorous 
winters,  and  droughty  summers,  are  seeking  the 
rich  agricultural  regions  of  the  West.  Many  are 
city  residents  of  considerable  wealth  and  culture, 
who  are  attracted  partly  by  the  milder  and  more 
healthful  climate,  partly  by  the  superior  oppor- 
tunities for  investment  which  the  West  affords. 
Some  of  these  men  are  of  high  intelligence  and 
capacity,  the  best  type  of  eastern  business  men. 

"  But  the  majority  is  composed  of  young  men, 
ambitious,  energetic  young  men — the  other  kind 
usually  settles  apathetically  near  the  old  home. 
But  when  the  wide-awake  young  man  is  ready 
to  start  in  life  for  himself,  he  finds  that  the  al- 
ready-developed East  offers  comparatively  few 
opportunities  to  one  who  has  no  capital  or  in- 
fluence. So  the  typical  young  man  decides  to 
'  go  West  and  grow  up  with  the  country.'  "     The 


THE  GREAT  WEST  267 

need  of  saving  and  preserving  this  class  of  our 
population  to  Christianity  and  the  Church  is  ap- 
parent to  all.  How  do  we  know  but  that  our 
own  boys  may  join  this  vast  throng  ceaselessly 
moving  westward  ?  And  if  so,  then  they  will  be 
among  those  who  so  badly  need  the  beneficent 
influence  of  Christianity  and  the  Church. 

The  future  of  the  West  also  makes  mission 
work  there  imperative.  The  center  of  popula- 
tion in  the  United  States  is  gradually  moving 
westward.  At  no  distant  day  the  balance  of  po- 
litical power  will  be  held  by  the  vast  populations 
west  of  the  Mississippi.  The  trend  of  events  in 
this  direction  is  already  manifest.  Nebraska  has 
twice  furnished  the  presidential  candidate  of  one 
of  our  great  political  parties.  Iowa,  a  great  cen- 
tral western  State,  has  the  Speaker  of  the  House 
of  Eepresentatives,  two  members  in  the  Presi- 
dent's Cabinet,  and  one  of  the  most  influential 
members  in  the  United  States  Senate.  "  Beyond 
a  peradventure,  the  "West  is  to  dominate  the 
East.  With  more  than  twice  the  room  and  the 
resources  of  the  East,  the  West  will  have  prob- 
ably twice  the  population  and  wealth  of  the 
East,  together  with  the  superior  power  and  in- 
fluence which,  under  popular  government,  ac- 
company them.  The  West  will  elect  the  execu- 
tive and  control  the  legislation.  When  the  cen- 
ter of  population  crosses  the  Mississippi,  the  West 


268  PKESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

will  have  a  majority  in  the  Lower  House,  and 
sooner  or  later  the  partition  of  her  great  terri- 
tories, and  probably  some  of  the  states,  will  give 
to  the  West  the  control  of  the  Senate.  When 
Texas  is  as  densely  peopled  as  New  England,  it 
is  hardly  to  be  supposed  that  her  millions  will 
be  content  to  see  the  62,000  square  miles  east  of 
the  Hudson  send  twelve  senators  to  the  seat  of 
government,  while  her  territory  of  262,000  sends 
only  two.  The  West  will  direct  the  policy  of 
the  Government,  and  by  virtue  of  her  preponder- 
ating population  and  influence  will  determine  our 
national  character,  and,  therefore,  destiny."  The 
same  sentiment  is  strikingly  expressed  by  Dr. 
Thompson  in  his  "  Review  and  Outlook  "  to  the 
General  Assembly  of  1901,  when  he  says: — "The 
work  of  the  Central  West  is  to  build  the  piers  on 
which  the  nation's  weight  must  rest.  I  looked 
recently  at  the  new  bridge  over  the  East  River. 
The  shore  approaches  are  long,  the  cables  are  an- 
chored far  back.  But  standing  on  granite  feet  out 
in  the  river  are  the  great  steel  piers  that  will  hold 
the  strain  of  the  mighty  structure.  Our  national 
life  has  long  approaches.  It  is  anchored  far  back 
in  traditions  and  constitutions.  But  the  young 
states  of  the  West  must  stand  like  steel  piers  on 
granite  foundations  if  the  arch  of  the  State  shall 
stand  secure  from  shore  to  shore. 

"  All  honor  to  the  men  who  build.    And  when 


THE  GREAT  WEST  269 

we  think  of  the  heroes  of  wars  let  us  not  forget 
the  missionaries  who  toil  on  disgraceful  stipends 
— making  Christian  the  states  that  will  hold  the 
balance  of  power.     They  are  the  true  nation-  i 
builders."  ' 

The  relation  of  our  nation  to  the  evangeliza- 
tion of  the  world  also  makes  the  Christianization 
of  the  West  an  imperative  necessity.  God  has 
undoubtedly  destined  America  to  lead  in  the 
winning  of  the  world  for  Christ. 

"The  wondrous  facts  of  American  history," 
exclaims  Strong,  "  are  the  mighty  alphabet  with 
which  God  writes  his  prophecies.  May  we  not, 
by  a  careful  laying  together  of  the  letters,  spell 
out  something  of  his  meaning  ?  It  seems  to  me 
that  God,  with  infinite  wisdom  and  skill,  is  train- 
ing the  Anglo-Saxon  race  for  an  hour  sure  to 
come  in  the  world's  future.  Is  it  manifest  that 
the  Anglo-Saxon  holds  in  his  hands  the  destinies 
of  mankind  for  ages  to  come  ?  Is  it  evident  that 
the  United  States  is  to  be  the  home  of  this  race  ? 
Is  it  true  that  the  Great  West  is  to  dominate  the 
nation's  future  ?  Then  may  God  open  the  eyes 
of  this  generation!  When  Napoleon  drew  up 
his  troops  under  the  shadows  of  the  pyramids,  he 
said  to  his  soldiers :  '  Remember  that  from 
yonder  heights,  forty  centuries  look  down  upon 
you  I '  Men  of  this  generation,  from  the  pyramid 
top  of  opportunity  on  which  God  has  set  us,  we 


270  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

look  down  on  forty  centuries  !  We  stretch  our 
hand  into  the  future  with  power  to  mold  the 
destinies  of  unborn  millions.  "We  occupy  the 
Gibraltar  of  the  ages  which  commands  the 
world's  future." 

' '  We  are  living,  we  are  dwelling, 
I  In  a  grand  and  awful  time, 

In  an  age  on  ages  telling, 
To  be  living  is  sublime." 

The  part  our  nation  is  to  play  in  the  affairs  of 
the  world  is  already  becoming  more  and  more 
manifest.  Recent  events  have  indicated  the  rela- 
tion of  the  West,  particularly,  to  the  world's 
problems  and  destiny.  This  is  strongly  evi- 
denced by  the  portentous  events  that  have  trans- 
pired on  the  Pacific  coast  within  the  last  few 
years.  The  character  and  possibilities  of  these 
conditions  have  thus  been  set  forth  by  Secretary 
Thompson :  "  When  Seward  said  the  time  was 
coming  when  our  Pacific  coast  would  be  the  theater 
of  the  world's  greatest  events,  ^ve  eastern  people 
smiled  in  our  serene  and  satisfied  conservatism. 
We  were  the  people,  and  wisdom  was  in  danger 
of  dying  with  us.  But  something  has  happened. 
It  requires  no  prophet  to  forecast  the  time  when 
the  Pacific  will  be  the  world's  central  sea.  One- 
third  of  the  human  family  already  throngs  its 
coasts,   and   they  are  getting   ready   for  great 


THE   GREAT   WEST  271 

affairs.  The  two  dominant  lines  of  the  human 
march  approach  each  other  on  that  sea.  The 
Anglo-Saxon  is  leaving  the  ancestral  home. 
Most  of  them  have  pitched  their  tents  on  these 
American  shores.  The  old  world's  camps  are 
breaking  up,  and  more  are  coming.  They  are 
moving  westward,  drawn  by  the  events  of  Sew- 
ard's prophecy.  From  the  other  side  another 
column  is  moving  eastward ;  the  soon-to-be 
second  race  of  all  races :  the  Slav — slow,  stealthy, 
sturdy  ;  moving  like  a  bear,  clumsily  rolling  over 
the  steppes  of  Asia.  He  approaches  the  Pacific. 
China  gasps,  Japan  doubles  her  artillery,  and 
America  may  well  ponder !  What  does  it  all 
portend  ?  Shall  these  two  great  columns  meet  ? 
The  one  armored  with  new  ideas — the  other 
heavy  with  the  impact  of  the  old.  And  if  they 
meet — what  then  ?  If  our  lines  bend  upward 
along  the  Aleutian  Islands,  those  broken  piers  of 
immemorial  history,  if  the  Slavic  lines  gather 
across  the  narrow  straits,  what  then  but  the 
world's  Armageddon  and  the  final  conflict  be- 
tween liberty  and  tyranny,  Christianity  and 
superstition  ? 

"The  Pacific  shores  tingle  with  possibilities. 
Great  cities  have  taken  their  sentinel  positions. 
Can^^ons  and  forests  fill  up  with  the  ranks. 
What  banners  shall  they  fly  ?  Christ's  or  Belial's  ? 
Now  is  the  coign  of  vantage  for  the  Church. 


272  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

To-day    calls  the   opportunity   whose  knell  to- 
morrow may  sound." 

For  the  world's  sake,  the  Central  "West  and 
the  Pacific  should  be  won  for  Christ. 

The  Presbyterian  Church  has  been  earnest  and 
progressive  in  its  prosecution  of  mission  work  in 
the  West.  It  has  not  neglected  the  East. 
Needy  agricultural  communities  in  New  England 
have  been  helped;  struggling  missions  in  our 
great  cities  have  been  fostered  and  encouraged  ; 
a  helping  hand  has  been  extended  to  weak  or- 
ganizations in  all  eastern  synods  that  are  not 
self-supporting,  and  the  exceptional  populations 
have  been  cared  for.  But  the  great  work  of  the 
Home  Board  and  of  the  home  missionary  for  many 
years  has  been  in  the  West,  and  it  is  our  great 
missionary  field  to-day.  Here  "the  gospel's 
joyful  sound  "  needs  to  be  heard  in  hamlet,  vil- 
lage, town,  and  city,  and  the  songs  of  the  re- 
deemed need  to  be  sung  by  the  vast  and  sturdy 
population  that  is  to  determine  the  future  char- 
acter and  destiny  of  our  nation. 
/  Presbyterian  mission  work  in  the  West  began 
about  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century. 
From  the  visit  of  Marcus  Whitman,  and  even  be- 
fore, the  Presbyterian  Church  has  been  earnest 
and  zealous  in  its  efforts  to  send  the  gospel  and 
the  Church  to  this  great  mission  field  of  our 
land.     Dr.  Thompson  says :     "  It  is  1860.     The 


THE  GREAT  WEST  273 

march  goes  on — the  banner  of  the  Cross  well  at 
the  front.  It  has  crossed  the  Mississippi  and  tho 
plains.  It  has  staked  out  the  central  empire  of 
the  continent  and  by  missionary  enterprise  so  ef- 
fectively claimed  that  land  for  Christian  liberty, 
— from  which  only  at  the  beginning  of  the  cen- 
tury the  Lilies  of  French  monarchy  had  retired 
— that  in  a  single  generation  two  thousand  Pres- 
byterian churches  were  organized  west  of  the 
Mississippi. 

"  That  march  was  made  hot  and  furious  by  the 
rush  for  California  gold,  as  now  for  Alaska.  At 
the  foot  of  Pike's  Peak  is  a  lonely  little  cluster 
of  graves,  marked  as  the  graves  of  the  '49-ers. 
"With  their  passionate  eyes  on  the  rocky  barriers 
they  had  not  strength  to  climb,  they  slipped  un- 
der the  tent  of  the  prairie  grass  and  rest  in  un- 
marked graves.  But  beside  them  marched  and 
rests  on  many  a  prairie,  in  many  a  canyon,  an- 
other company  who  sought  not  gold  but  men — 
graves  of  our  missionary  heroes — every  leafy 
mound  of  which  has  angel  guarding.  Those  un- 
marked graves  punctuate  a  national  advance  that 
has  been  ever  upward,  that  in  a  century  has 
swung  its  lines  over  the  AUeghanies  and  over 
the  Sierras  and  has  given  to  the  ideals  of  our 
forefathers  the  validity  of  history." 

Presbyterian  mission  work  in  the  West  has 
been  on  a  large  scale  and  large  results  have  been. 


27Jr  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

produced.  In  the  Western  States  in  1901  we  had 
IS  synods,  101  presbyteries,  2,533  ministers, 
3,080  churches  and  257,279  church  members ;  and 
3'-et  after  all  the  years  of  missionary  work  the 
Board  is  still  helping  1,790  churches  in  the  West, 
arranged  as  follows,  according  to  the  reports  of 
1902. 


SYNODS 

CHURCHES 

MISSIONARIES 

Texas 

35 

24 

Michigan 

107 

71 

Wisconsin 

71 

52 

Minnesota 

160 

97 

Iowa 

143 

100 

Missouri 

105 

63 

N,  Dakota 

73 

61 

S.  Dakota 

102 

69 

Nebraska 

133 

87 

Kansas 

160 

94 

Indian  Ter. 

91 

55 

New  Mexico 

57 

36 

Montana 

35 

21 

Colorado 

85 

62 

Utah 

39 

36 

Washington 

119 

95 

Oregon 

83 

52 

California 

105 

77 

Total  1,703  1,152 

Thus  about  two-thirds  of  our  ministers  in  the 
West  to-day  are  missionaries  and  over  one-third 
of  our  churches  are  still  receiving  some  help  from 
the  Board,  and  nine-tenths  of  all  the  others  have 


THE   GREAT   WEST  275 

done  so  at  some  time  in  their  history.  Every 
Presbyterian  church  in  Iowa  has  been  aided  by 
the  Home  Board.  But  one  in  Kansas  is  out  of 
this  category.  There  is  scarcely  a  church  in 
Wisconsin  that  has  not  been  built  up  by  the  aid 
of  home  missions,  and  this  can  be  said  of  almost 
every  other  western  State.  Nor  is  all  the  pioneer 
work  done.  This  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  for 
the  year  ending  March  31,  1902,  seventy  new 
churches  were  organized.  Outside  the  West  and 
the  exceptional  populations  the  Board  has  very 
few  missionaries.  It  has  one  in  Alabama ; 
seventeen  in  Florida ;  seven  in  Massachusetts ; 
two  in  New  Hampshire ;  one  in  New  York ;  two 
in  New  Jersey ;  six  in  Pennsylvania,  whose  salaries 
are  specially  provided  for ;  two  in  Ehode  Island ; 
one  in  Vermont ;  and  one  in  West  Virginia — in  all 
forty-six.  Thus  again  we  see  the  stupendous 
magnitude  and  importance  of  our  home  mission 
work  in  the  West.  Here  the  real  battle  in  the 
Christianization  of  our  land  is  being  fought,  and 
there  is  no  more  important  work  in  the  Church 
to-day  than  that  of  holding  the  West  for  Christ. 
It  won  and  America  is  won  :  America  won,  and 
the  world  is  won.  How  much  then  is  involved 
in  this  phase  of  Christian  missions  !  And  how  it 
behooves  us  to  support  the  Home  Board  in  its 
work !  "  Talk  about  the  silver  question,  and  the 
labor  question !     Tlie  question  of  America,  the 


276  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME  MISSIONS 

question  demanding  the  highest  and  broadest 
statesmanship,  is  the  evangelization  of  the  Great 
"West,  Every  other  good  thing  to  America  and 
to  the  world  will  follow  in  the  wake  of  that. 
High  on  the  roll  of  the  nation's  great  will  yet 
be  written  the  names  of  the  men  who  most 
clearly  saw  this  and  gladly  devoted  their  splendid 
administrative  abilities  to  its  achievement,  and 
conspicuous  on  that  roll  will  be  the  names  of 
those  sainted  patriots — Marcus  Whitman  and 
Aaron  Lindsley,  Cyrus  Dickson  and  Henry 
Kendall." 

The  part  that  has  been  played  by  the  home 
missionary  in  developing  the  "West  into  a  mighty, 
glorious  empire  will  never  be  fully  estimated  and 
appreciated.  This  fact  should  interest  every 
Presbyterian  in  the  cause  of  home  missions. 
No  less  authority  than  Senator  Hoar,  of  Massa- 
chusetts, has  declared  on  the  floor  of  the  United 
States  Senate  that  he  who  would  measure  the 
greatness  of  our  country's  history  must  take  into 
account  the  home  missionary.  And  while  this 
is  true  of  the  home  missionary  in  all  parts  of 
our  land  it  is  particularly  true  of  the  home  mis- 
sionary in  the  West. 

The  home  missionary  and  his  church  and 
Sunday  school  have  had  a  part  in  the  political 
development  of  the  West.  They  have  been  cen- 
ters of  loyalty  and  patriotism.     "  Into  the  great 


THE  GREAT   WEST  277 

"West  went  the  churches  and  these  continued 
what  they  were  in  the  beginning,  centers  of  po- 
litical intelligence,  of  patriotic  devotion,  and  of 
hope  for  the  future.  The  holy  and  everlasting 
principles  taught  in  the  Church  wove  new  stars 
and  stripes  to  wave  over  new  homes  and  added 
new  state  luminaries  to  the  galaxy  which  dotted 
the  blue  in  our  national  banner.  The  Stars  and 
Stripes  are  at  home  wherever  the  Christian  mis- 
sionaries take  the  land  and  fill  it  with  churches." 
In  "  The  Church  and  the  Kepublic,"  a  volume  in 
the  series  "  Makers  of  the  American  Kepublic," 
the  Eev.  David  Gregg,  D.  D.,  comes  to  this  con- 
clusion concerning  the  home  missionary,  and  his 
relation  to  our  political  development :  "  We  have 
found  that  the  churches  of  God  are  blessings  to 
our  republic ;  the  questions  now  are,  where  shall 
we  plant  them,  and  how  ?  The  great  cause  of 
home  missions,  which  knocks  at  our  door,  an- 
swers both  questions.  Plant  them  at  the  stra- 
tegic points  which  we  have  chosen  in  the  IS'orth 
and  "West,  and  which  form  our  field  of  labor,  and 
plant  them  by  contributing  of  your  gold  to  re- 
plenish the  treasury.  Let  there  be  no  footsteps 
backward  in  giving  and  sending.  A  great  field 
is  open  to  us  in  the  Great  West — fields  as  large 
as  Germany,  as  large  as  England,  as  large  as 
France.  You  could  take  the  whole  of  France 
and   put   it   into   the   State  of  Texas  and   then 


278  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME  MISSIONS 

have  a  border  of  twenty  miles  all  around  un- 
covered. 

"  "When  I  look  at  the  great  work  to  be  done,  I 
thank  God  for  the  Home  Missionary  Boards  of 
the  different  denominations,  who  are  so  alive  to 
the  needs  of  the  hour  and  so  willing  to  push  the 
work.  These  Boards  have  done  grand  service  for 
our  country.  I  want  to  tell  you  this :  I  have 
found  out  by  investigation  that  the  first  churches 
in  Cleveland,  in  Sandusky,  in  Galena,  in  Beloit, 
in  Dubuque,  in  Burlington,  in  Leavenworth,  in 
Omaha,  in  Cheyenne,  in  Tacoma,  and  in  other  im- 
portant centers,  were  home  missionary  churches. 
The  home  missionary  societies  have  founded 
over  five-sixths  of  all  the  churches  in  the  great 
"Western  States.  In  view  of  this  I  am  ready  to- 
day to  affirm  that  if  you  subtract  home  mission- 
ary societies  from  our  national  history,  you  sub- 
tract the  freedom  from  our  republic." 

Home  missions  have  also  had  a  decided  influ- 
ence in  the  material  development  of  the  "West. 
Had  the  missionary  and  the  mission  church  not 
gone  to  the  growing  population  of  the  "West  the 
disastrous  results  could  not  be  estimated.  "What 
better  testimony  of  the  material  advantages  of 
missions  than  a  desire  of  even  the  churchless  for 
the  churches.  Unbelievers  rarely  oppose  the 
building  of  churches.  They  more  often  assist  by 
liberal  gifts   in   building  them,  on  the  ground 


THE  GREAT  WEST  279 

"  that  a  church  is  a  good  thing  for  any  commu- 
nity." A  saloon-keeper  in  one  of  our  western 
towns  voluntarily  subscribed  $200  to  a  church 
building,  giving  as  his  reason  that  "it  increases 
the  desirability  of  the  settlement  and  the  value 
of  property."  One  of  our  missionaries  relates 
this  circumstance : — 

"  I  was  told,  not  long  ago,  the  history  of  two 
western  cities  situated  not  far  apart.  In  an 
early  day,  the  men  who  founded  one  town  were 
actuated  by  motives  of  self-interest.  They  were 
bound  to  get  rich  and  they  did.  Few  business 
men  in  this  city  are  Christians.  The  young  men 
are  following  in  the  footsteps  of  their  elders,  and 
the  Sabbath  is  desecrated  openly.  Far  and  wide 
the  moral  condition  of  the  place  is  known  to  be 
notoriously  bad. 

"  In  the  other  city  the  founders  were  men  who 
supported  the  Church  as  faithfully  as  their  tem- 
poral affairs.  The  young  men  are  also  church- 
goers and  are  growing  into  positions  of  influence. 
The  town  is  widely  known  for  its  good  homes  and 
wholesome  social  life.  Said  a  young  commercial 
man,  not  long  ago,  '  There  is  no  place  in  which 

I  would  rather  live  than '  (naming  this 

place).  What  has  brought  about  this  favorable 
condition  ?  I  can  conceive  of  nothing  so  much 
as  the  wholesome  influence  of  the  Church  which 
the  founders  of  this  town  labored  so  zealously  to 


280  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME  MISSIONS 

establish  and  maintain.  Back  of  all  that  is  best 
in  this  busy  city  is  the  church  work  and  the 
church  life." 

Rev.  R.  N.  Adams,  our  synodical  missionary 
for  Minnesota,  declares  : — "  If  I  were  called  upon 
to  estimate  the  material  worth  of  home  mission 
churches  in  the  development  of  the  country,  I 
would  say  that  every  dollar  spent  in  the  work  of 
home  missions  is  worth  more  than  one  hundred 
times  its  value  in  money,  in  the  way  of  giving 
commercial  value  to  property  and  in  the  way  of 
giving  character  to  communities,  towns  and  cities 
which  is  absolutely  essential  to  the  growth  and 
continued  prosperity  of  any  state  or  nation." 

Says  another  missionary : — "  Wherever  our 
Home  Mission  Board  has  planted  churches,  and 
wherever  our  Woman's  Board  has  sustained  mis- 
sionaries and  teachers  for  the  schools,  in  Ncav 
Mexico,  Arizona,  and  all  through  the  West  and 
Southwest,  prosperity  has  been  everywhere  ap- 
parent, and  railroads  have  found  their  interest 
greatly  enhanced.  Our  Church  has  been  fore- 
most as  a  civilizer,  refiner,  and  mighty  force  in 
developing  these  states  and  territories." 

But  the  political  and  material  influence  of  the 
home  missionary  church  is  as  nothing  compared 
to  its  educational,  social,  moral  and  spiritual  in- 
fluence. Along  these  lines  the  Church  does  and 
always  has  done  the  work  that  no  other  agency 


THE   GREAT  WEST  281 

or  institution  can  accomplish.  Since  such  is  the 
character  of  the  work  is  it  any  wonder  that  the 
Church  should  have  gone  to  the  "West  and  that 
those  who  understand  the  character,  influence, 
and  value,  of  its  work  should  desire  that  it  should 
keep  step  with  the  ever  advancing  and  increasing 
population  ?  The  wonder  would  have  been  had 
it  not  done  so.  This  would  have  been  the  shame 
and  the  crime.  And  what  now  is  to  be  our  atti- 
tude toward  the  continuance  of  home  missions 
in  the  west?  With  Dr.  Arthur  J.  Brown,  we 
would  answer : — "  Men  and  brethren,  this  work 
of  evangelization  must  go  on.  We  are  called  to 
it  by  every  consideration  of  patriotism  and  re- 
ligion. It  is  the  cause  of  country,  the  cause  of 
humanity,  and  the  cause  of  God.  We  must 
evangelize  the  West  for  the  sake  of  the  people 
who  are  already  there  and  who  are  going  there. 
They  are  souls  for  whom  Christ  died  as  well  as 
the  hordes  of  Africa.  We  must  evangelize  it  for 
the  sake  of  our  country,  of  which  it  is  an  integral 
and  important  part.  In  1803,  Eobert  Living- 
stone told  Napoleon  that  '  we  should  not  send  a 
settler  across  the  Mississippi  for  a  hundred  years.' 
Before  that  century  had  expired,  the  center  of 
population  for  the  entire  country  was  already 
near  the  Mississippi  River,  and  ere  another  dec- 
ade was  likely  to  cross  it.  May  God  have  mercy 
on  our  country  if    the  coming  millions  of  the 


282  PEESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

West  are  not  pervaded  by  the  gospel  of  Christ  I 
Whether  the  West  wants  to  be  evangelized  or 
not,  we  must  evangelize  it.  We  cannot  afford  to 
leave  so  influential  a  part  of  our  country  to  god- 
lessness  and  its  attendant  perils.  Nay,  we  dare 
not  disobey  the  God  who  has  commanded  us  to 
*  go  up  and  possess  the  land,'  and  who  will  pun- 
ish us  if  we  disobey,  as  he  punished  Israel  of 
old.  The  people  of  the  West  are  doing  all  they 
can  for  themselves,  laboring  with  splendid  intelli- 
gence and  devotion,  and  giving  more  per  capita 
than  most  eastern  synods.  But  their  numbers 
are  yet  few,  the  region  to  be  supplied  is  vast,  and 
they  need  the  same  help  which  the  East  received 
when  similarly  situated.  That  help  should  be 
given  now,  ere  the  formative  period  passes  and 
fixity  of  character  is  attained." 


XI 

THE  SYNODS 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE   SYNODS 

An  interesting  phase  of  Presbyterian  home 
missions  is  to  be  found  outside  of  the  Home 
Board's  work,  in  that  of  the  synods  in  their  own 
bounds,  which  is  called  Synodical  Sustentation  or 
Home  Missions.  Synodical  missions  constitute 
one  of  the  oldest  forms  of  home  missionary 
work.  Before  the  General  Assembly  was  organ- 
ized the  Synod  of  Philadelphia,  our  first  synoc"^ 
was  engaged  in  such  work.  "  On  nearly  every 
page  of  the  minutes  of  the  first  synod  are  found 
what  are  called  '  supplications '  for  new  and  feeble 
and  distant  settlements  for  missionaries  and  mis- 
sions to  aid  in  their  support.  Burdened  with 
the  growing  spiritual  needs  the  synod  sent  fre- 
quent and  urgent  supplications  to  the  Synods  of 
Scotland  and  Ireland  and  to  the  evangelical  min- 
isters of  London  and  Dublin  for  ministers  and 
money  to  aid  in  their  maintenance."  In  1Y91, 
the  Synods  of  Yirginia  and  of  the  Carolinas  be- 
gan missionary  work  within  their  own  bounds ; 
and  in  1802,  the  year  of  the  organization  of  the 
Assembly's  Home  Mission  Committee,  the  Synod 

285 


286  PKESBYTEKIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

of  Pittsburgh  followed  in  the  missionary  footsteps 
of  its  synodical  associates. 

The  present  plan  of  synodical  home  missions 
originated  in  a  suggestion  of  the  Board  of  Home 
Missions  to  the  General  Assembl}^  in  IS  S3.  Its 
report  for  that  year  said,  "  The  "West  has  opened 
to  us  rapidly,  and  the  demands  made  by  its  desti- 
tute fields  on  our  treasury  are  so  great  it  would 
be  well  for  the  large  and  wealthy  Synods  of  New 
York,  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  and  per- 
haps Michigan,  Indiana,  and  Illinois,  to  undertake 
the  support  of  their  own  weak  churches.  .  .  . 
"Without  indicating  how  the  details  should  be  ar- 
ranged the  Board  is  satisfied  that  the  suggestion  is 
worthy  of  the  careful  consideration  of  the  synods." 
In  acting  upon  this  report  the  General  Assembly  in 
1883,  "  Resolved  that  this  Assembly  commend  to 
the  favorable  consideration  of  the  older  synods 
the  suggestions  of  the  Board  of  Home  Missions 
in  regard  to  sustentation."  Thus  synodical  home 
missions,  as  we  have  them  to-day,  had  their  birth. 

The  response  to  this  suggestion  of  the  Home 
Board  w^as  generally  favorable.  The  interest  in 
sjmodical  home  missions  has  grown,  until  to-day 
nine  sj'nods  are  self-supporting  and  others  par- 
tially so.  The  self-supporting  synods  are  Penn- 
sylvania, New  York,  New  Jersey,  Indiana, 
Baltimore,  Illinois,  Kentucky,  Ohio,  and  Mich- 
igan. 


THE   SYNODS  287 

The  Synod  of  Pennsylvania,  in  1883,  in  re- 
sponse to  the  call  of  the  General  Assembly  ap- 
pointed a  committee  to  prepare  a  plan  of  synod- 
ical  sustentation.  The  committee  reported  in 
188-i  and  the  report  was  adopted  after  some 
amendments  in  1885.  In  connection  with  the  adop- 
tion of  the  committee's  report  it  was  "  Eesolved, 
first,  that  the  synod  assume  particular  charge  of 
sustentation  within  its  own  bounds,  after  obtain- 
ing the  approval  of  two-thirds  of  the  presby- 
teries. Eesolved,  second,  that  in  this  action  the 
synod  must  be  understood  as  not  in  any  wise 
diminishing  or  delaying  the  duty  of  our  ministers 
and  churches  in  the  great  work  of  home  missions. 
The  synod,  in  taking  this  action,  is  moved  by  the 
desire  to  make  the  work  of  home  missions  as 
conducted  by  the  General  Assembly  more  effi- 
cient in  the  synod."  The  synodical  committee 
consists  of  one  minister  and  one  elder  from  each 
presbytery,  elected  by  the  presbyteries.  "  The 
name  shall  be  the  Committee  on  Sustentation 
in  the  Synod  of  Pennsylvania."  The  duties  of 
the  committee  are  to  secure  funds  by  annual  col- 
lections from  churches  and  Sabbath  schools  and 
in  every  other  way  possible ;  to  disburse  these 
funds  among  presbyteries  proportioned  to  their 
needs  and  as  shown  by  the  recommendations  of 
the  standing  committees  on  sustentation  in  the 
presbyteries.     The  funds  are  to  be  distributed  to 


288  PEESBYTEEIAN   nOME   MISSIONS 

pastors,  evangelists,  and  supplies.  The  minimum 
salary  is  eight  hundred  dollars  per  year,  the 
maximum  is  twelve  hundred.  At  least  one-half 
of  the  salary  must  be  paid  by  the  aid-receiving 
church  and  each  church  receiving  aid  must  con- 
tribute at  least  five  dollars  per  member  on  the 
average  to  the  salary.  The  assisted  churches 
are  also  required  to  contribute  annually  to  all  the 
Boards.  The  officers  of  the  committee  consist  of 
a  president,  vice  president,  corresponding  secre- 
tary, and  treasurer. 

The  sustentation  work  of  the  Synod  of  Penn- 
sylvania is  most  comprehensive  and  effective. 
The  reports  to  synod  in  1901  show  that  for 
the  previous  year  $23,920,57  had  been  given  for 
the  cause.  "  Last  year,"  says  the  report,  "  194 
churches  and  missions  were  aided  ;  the  salaries  of 
154  ministers  were  supplemented ;  1,092  persons 
were  added  on  profession  of  faith  and  562  by 
letter ;  1,654  were  thus  added  to  these  churches ; 
16,520  children  received  instruction  in  the  Sab- 
bath schools;  $98,521  were  contributed  for 
church  support ;  $14,923  were  gathered  for  the 
Boards  of  our  Church,  an  average  of  $100  from 
each  pastoral  charge.  "What  did  it  cost  the 
synod  to  carry  on  this  good  w^ork  for  Christ  and 
his  kingdom  ?  Answer,  $29,405.67.  How  much 
of  this  money  went  directly  into  the  salaries  of 
the   workers   in  the   field?     $27,912.39.      How 


THE   SYNODS  289 

much  was  required  to  keep  this  machinery  run- 
ning? $1,493.07.  And  the  committee  would  like 
every  pastor,  elder,  and  communicant,  in  the 
synod  to  know  for  what  even  that  sum  was  ex- 
pended. You  find  the  answer  in  the  treasurer's 
statement.  It  cost  $191.54  to  bring  the  commit- 
tee together  from  the  widely  separated  presby- 
teries of  the  synod,  in  order  that  every  part  of 
the  field  might  be  represented  in  the  distribution 
of  funds.  For  the  expenses  of  the  secretary,  for 
printing  and  distribution  of  1,500  annual  reports, 
50,000  leaflets,  40,000  collection  envelopes,  and 
other  absolutely  necessary  expenses,  the  synod 
paid  $893.99.  To  the  treasurer,  for  clerk  hire,  for 
postage  and  printing  and  other  incidentals, 
$407.75. 

"  Fifteen  years  ago  this  synod  faced  the  fact  that 
one-fourth  of  its  churches  were  too  weak  to  pay 
living  salaries  to  their  pastors,  and  were  therefore 
most  of  the  time  vacant,  depending  upon  occa- 
sional supplies.  The  disastrous  results  of  such 
vacancies  are  too  well  known  to  need  comment. 
Now,  remember  that  last  year  these  churches  had 
regular  services;  that  over  150  ministers  were 
regularly  employed  who,  without  this  aid,  could 
not  have  been  supported ;  that  more  than  1,000 
souls  were  brought  to  Christ,  and  over  1,600 
were  gathered  into  church  homes  ;  and  that  with- 
out such  a  state  of  things  the  $15,000  that  found 


290  PRESBYTEEIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

its  way  into  the  treasuries  of  the  Boards  would 
have  been  lost.  Sustentation  has  come  to  these 
churches  in  their  extremity,  has  enabled  them  to 
have  pastors,  has  stimulated  them  to  self-support, 
and  has  developed  their  Christian  liberality  by 
the  conditions  that  it  imposes. 

"  That  in  the  past  thirteen  years  334  churches 
and  missions  have  been  aided  ;  that  seventy -five 
churches  have  been  raised  to  the  point  of  self- 
support  ;  that  more  than  13,000  souls  have  been 
brought  to  Christ  in  these  weak  churches,  and 
more  than  18,000  added  to  their  membership ; 
that  in  the  past  nine  years  over  $120,000  have 
been  collected  for  the  Boards  of  our  Church  from 
the  aided  churches — all  this  furnishes  evidence 
conclusive,  we  think,  that  these  weak  churches 
have  fields  for  work,  that  they  have  a  right  to 
exist,  that  they  are  worthy  of  help,  that  they  de- 
serve help,  that  this  great  Synod  of  Pennsylvania 
ought  to  help  them  to  the  extent  of  the  small 
amount  of  aid  for  which  they  ask.  We  do  not 
believe  that  such  a  record  as  this  can  be  dupli- 
cated in  the  history  of  home  missions  in  this 
land.  Let  pastors  present  these  facts  to  their 
congregations,  and  Ave  are  confident  that 
the  problem  of  the  lack  of  funds  will  be 
solved." 

The  ISTew  York  plan  of  synodical  aid  was 
adopted  in  1886,  and  has  been  subjected  to  fre- 


THE  SYNODS  291 

quent  amendment.  By  the  provisions  of  the 
Act  as  amended  in  1898  it  is  declared  that  "each 
presbytery  shall  have  charge  of  Avork  within  its 
bounds."  It  is  required  that  churches  shall,  as 
far  as  possible,  be  served  by  pastors  and  shall 
contribute  to  the  Boards  and  strive  to  become 
self-supporting.  Presbyteries  are  expected  to  try 
to  unite  contiguous  aid-receiving  churches.  The 
churches  are  required  to  pay  annually  on  the 
pastor's  salary  at  least  $6.50  per  member.  Each 
presbytery  has  a  committee  on  home  missions. 
They  must  approve  all  applications  for  aid  and 
report  their  finding  to  the  presbyteries  at  the  set 
fall  meetings.  Churches  desiring  aid  are  re- 
quired to  apply  to  the  chairman  of  the  presby- 
terial  committees.  The  chairmen  of  the  various 
presbyterial  committees  together  with  five 
elders,  annually  appointed  by  synod,  constitute 
a  permanent  committee  of  the  synod  on  synod- 
ical  missions.  "  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  this  com- 
mittee to  convene  annually  before  the  meeting 
of  the  synod  to  make  an  estimate  of  the  amount 
needed  to  carry  on  the  work  of  synodical  mis- 
sions for  the  ensuing  year ;  to  recommend  to 
the  synod  the  amount  each  presbytery  shall  be 
entitled  to  draw  from  the  fund ;  and  suggest 
such  methods  as  may  seem  best  adapted  to  secure 
the  required  amount."  "The  permanent  com- 
mittee   shall    appoint    an  executive  committee 


292  PRESBYTERIAN  HOME  MISSIONS 

with  power  to  act  ad  interim."  "  At  each  of  its 
annual  meetings  the  synod  shall  appoint  a  super- 
intendent of  sy nodical  missions  whose  term  shall 
date  from  the  first  of  November  following  and 
whose  salary  shall  not  exceed  $2,000  per  year 
and  necessary  expenses  on  the  fields.  He  shall 
act  in  each  presb^^tery  in  cooperation  with  the 
presbytery's  committee  and  shall  devote  his  time 
and  efforts  to  the  encouragement  of  weak 
churches  and  procuring  the  pastors  or  supplies 
for  vacant  churches  and  a  general  fostering  and 
developing  of  the  work  of  the  church  throughout 
the  State."  Synod  shall  annually  appoint  a 
treasurer.  "  It  shall  be  his  duty  to  receive  and 
administer  the  funds  contributed  to  this  object, 
subject  to  the  regulations  of  synod.  He  shall  be 
required  to  give  bond."  "  The  permanent  com- 
mittee shall  consider  the  reports  of  presbytery's 
committees  and  recommend  to  synod  the  amount 
which  each  presbytery  shall  be  entitled  to  re- 
ceive. In  case  there  is  not  a  sufficient  amount  of 
money  in  the  treasury  the  executive  committee 
has  the  power  to  apportion  the  amount  on  hand 
among  the  churches." 

"  The  work  in  our  State  "  says  the  synodical 
committee's  report  in  1901,  "  is  appealing  more 
and  more  to  the  Christian  people  as  they  become 
more  familiar  with  its  methods  and  results. 
Each  year  witnesses  an  increase  in  gifts  for  this 


THE   SYNODS  293 

object  and  the  work  of  the  Church  in  the  State  is 
being  expended  in  the  planting  of  new  churches 
and  the  firmer  establishment  of  the  old  by  com- 
bining fields  under  one  pastor." 

The  Synod  of  NeAV  Jersey  inaugurated  its  plan 
for  sustentation  in  1880,  after  a  three  years'  con- 
sideration of  the  recommendation  of  the  Board. 
It  guards  against  interference  with  the  contribu- 
tions of  the  Home  Board  in  its  first  declaration : 
"In  order  that  a  synodical  sustentation  fund 
may  not  interfere  with  the  general  work  of  the 
Board  of  Home  Missions  every  church  in  the 
synod  is  enjoined  to  take  an  annual  contribution 
for  the  Board  of  Home  Missions  as  hitherto." 
Each  presbytery  has  its  own  committee.  The 
presbyterial  chairmen  make  the  synodical  com- 
mittee. No  salary  is  paid  to  any  ofiicer  and 
necessary  expenses  for  stationery,  printing  and 
other  incidentals,  have  been  kept  below  one  hun- 
dred dollars  per  year.  The  presbyterial  com- 
mittees report  to  the  synodical  committee  and  it 
to  the  synod.  The  synod  each  year  allots  to 
each  presbytery  a  definite  amount  to  raise  and 
expend.  The  money  is  sent  to  the  treasurer  of 
the  synodical  committee.  The  funds  are  subject 
to  the  exclusive  control  of  the  presbyteries,  ac- 
cording to  the  synod's  general  rules.  The  min- 
imum salary  is  placed  at  $600  and  the  maximum 
salary    at    $1,200.     Except    in    extreme    cases, 


294  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

churches  seeking  aid  must  pay  at  least  one-half 
the  salary  agreed  upon. 

The  New  Jersey  plan  has  been  a  signal  suc- 
cess. It  is  economical  and  wise.  In  the  first 
thirteen  years  of  its  operation  the  Synod  of  New 
Jersey  raised  $185,000  for  synodical  missions 
and  $641,147.28  for  the  Home  Board,  making  a 
grand  total  for  home  missions  of  $826,147.28 — a 
record  to  be  proud  of. 

The  Synod  of  Indiana  in  1890  adopted  a  plan 
of  home  missions,  that  has  aroused  a  great  deal 
of  interest  and  discussion.  By  this  plan  the 
synod's  committee  consists  of  the  chairmen  of  the 
several  presbyterial  committees  together  with 
the  synodical  chairman  of  home  missions  elected 
by  the  synod,  and  the  treasurer  chosen  annually 
by  the  committee.  The  executive  committee, 
consisting  of  the  chairman,  secretary,  and 
treasurer,  conducts  business  ad  interim,  and 
draws  all  orders  on  the  treasurer.  Each 
presbytery  has  its  committee.  Churches  are 
apportioned  on  the  basis  of  thirty-five  cents 
per  member  as  a  minimum  contribution.  All 
money  is  sent  to  the  treasurers  of  the  presby- 
terial committees  and  thence  to  the  treasurer  of 
the  synod's  committee.  All  churches  are  re- 
quested to  take  two  collections  annually  for 
home  missions.  Aid  given  to  a  church,  as  a 
rule,  is  arranged  on  a  sliding  scale  of  reduction. 


THE  SYNODS  295 

The  home  mission  committee  is  empowered  to 
employ  evangelists  for  work  among  weak 
chm'ches.  "An  amount  equal  to  ten  per  cent, 
of  the  money  raised  by  the  thirty-five  cent  ap- 
portionment is  guaranteed  by  the  synod  for  the 
work  of  the  Board  of  Home  Missions  at  New 
York."  In  one  particular  the  Indiana  plan 
differs  radically  from  most  others.  Money  is 
not  sent  directly  to  the  Home  Board  but  goes  to 
the  synodical  committee,  and  first  of  all  the 
Indiana  missions  must  be  cared  for.  The  Home 
Board,  however,  has  not  been  neglected.  The 
report  of  the  synod  for  1901  shows  that  for  the 
year  ending  September  30,  1901,  $13,403.39  were 
given  to  Indiana  missions  and  a  little  more, 
$13,532.27,  (not  including  women's  societies),  to 
the  Home  Board. 

The  Synod  of  Baltimore  adopted  its  plan  for 
sustentation  in  1892.  In  that  year  the  com- 
mittee on  home  missions  recommended  "  that  in 
response  to  the  repeated  recommendations  of  the 
Assembly  and  the  appeals  of  the  Home  Board  to 
the  older  and  stronger  synods,  recognizing  the 
benefits  actually  found  by  the  synods  which 
have  adopted  synodical  sustentations,  in  view  of 
the  present  emergency  in  our  home  mission 
work  and  in  answer  to  the  overture  of  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Baltimore  that  the  Synod  of  Baltimore 
do  now  inaugurate  the  plan  of  sustentation  for 


296  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

the  assistance  of  weaker  churches  within  its 
bounds." 

To  carry  out  this  resolve  a  permanent  "  Com- 
mittee of  Home  Missions  "  was  arranged  for  to 
consist  "  of  the  chairmen  of  the  home  missionary 
committees  of  the  presbyteries  and  one  elder 
from  each  presbytery  to  be  nominated  by  the 
presbytery  for  the  place."  The  committee 
elects  its  own  chairman,  secretary,  and  treasurer, 
for  terms  of  three  years.  It  holds  quarterly 
meetings.  Traveling  expenses  but  no  salaries 
are  paid  to  the  members.  The  committee  is 
"  charged  with  the  duty  of  circulating  informa- 
tion concerning  the  sustentation  work  of  the 
synod  and  in  all  possible  ways  of  promoting  the 
contributions  to  the  cause."  The  presbyterial 
committees  make  annual  reports  to  the  synod- 
ical  committee  and  this  committee  reports  an- 
nually to  the  synod.  "Each  congregation  is 
enjoined  to  take  at  least  one  annual  collection  in 
addition  to  the  annual  contribution  which  each  is 
expected  to  make  to  the  Board  of  Home  Mis- 
sions." All  money  is  sent  to  the  synodical 
treasury.  "The  power  to  make  grants  to  par- 
ticular churches  shall  rest  entirely  w^ith  the 
presbyteries." 

The  conditions  under  which  the  presbyteries 
can  grant  applications  are  as  follows : — All  applica- 
tions must  be  approved  by  the  presbytery  and 


THE  SYNODS  297 

receive  a  two-third  vote  by  ballot ;  the  amount 
granted  shall  ordinarily  not  be  above  one  half  of 
the  salary;  the  minimum  salary  to  be  paid  is 
$700  and  the  maximum  $1,200;  sustentation 
pastors  or  supplies  must  report  regularly  every 
three  months  to  the  committee  and  all  aid-re- 
ceiving churches  are  required  to  take  annual  col- 
lections for  all  the  Boards. 

Synodical  work  in  the  Synod  of  Baltimore  has 
been  successful  though  the  synod  is  not  as  yet 
self-supporting  but  receives  some  help  from  the 
Board.  During  the  ten  years  of  operation  the 
reports  to  the  synod  have  been  most  encourag- 
ing. The  report  for  1901  says  :  "  There  has  been 
an  increase  in  ten  years  of  forty -two  ministers, 
twenty-three  churches  and  5,768  members.  In 
1891  the  total  contributions  to  home  missions 
were  $16,005,  in  1901  they  were  $18,757,  an  in- 
crease of  $2,752  besides  $4,866  contributed  to 
sustentation.  For  five  years  before  sustentation 
was  adopted  the  Home  Board  spent  on  an 
average  $4,800  annually  in  support  of  the 
churches  of  the  synod.  Since  then  about  $9,600 
annually  have  been  spent  in  aid  of  the  work  of 
the  synod.  In  other  words  we  are  expending 
twice  as  much  money  and  doing  more  than  twice 
as  much  work  besides  doing  it  more  satisfactorily 
and  at  the  same  time  increasing  the  gifts  to  the 
Board.     .     .     .     Sustentation  is  more  than  clear 


298  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

gain.  A  large  part  of  the  increase  in  the  synod 
of  ministers,  churches,  and  membership,  is  due  to 
it.  Regularity  and  certainty  of  success  have  not 
only  kept  churches  from  declining  but  have  built 
up  many  of  them." 

The  Synod  of  Illinois  in  1893  appointed  a  com- 
mittee to  "  prepare  and  submit  to  the  next  meet- 
ing of  the  synod  a  plan  for  synodical  sustentation." 
This  committee  reported  in  1894  and  its  report 
was  referred  back  to  receive  the  approval  of  the 
presbyteries.  In  1895  the  committee's  report  was 
adopted.  By  it  the  "  synod  assumed  all  finan- 
cial responsibility  for  and  all  direction  of  home 
mission  work  within  its  bounds."  The  commit- 
tee consists  of  the  chairmen  of  the  presbyteries' 
home  mission  committees  and  a  chairman  and 
treasurer  of  synodical  sustentation  who  are  elected 
by  the  synod.  The  committee  holds  "two  regu- 
lar meetings  each  year  and  appoints  synodical 
evangelists  as  may  be  needed  and  superintends 
their  work," — the  details  being  left  in  the  hands 
of  the  home  mission  committees  of  the  presby- 
teries where  the  work  is  done.  All  churches  are 
asked  to  make  two  offerings  a  year  to  synodical 
missions  by  subscription  cards.  "  The  churches 
shall  forward  such  offerings  to  their  presbytery's 
treasurer  of  home  missions."  Estimated  require- 
ments and  contributions  are  made  by  each  pres- 
bytery to  the  committee  of  synod  at  the  autumn 


THE  SYNODS  299 

meeting  preceding  the  meeting  of  the  synod. 
Estimated  contributions  must  not  be  less  tlian 
thirty  cents  per  member.  Presbyteries  reaching 
an  amount  above  their  requirements  forward  the 
surplus  to  the  synodical  treasury.  Those  failing 
to  reach  the  amount  needed  are  helped  by  the 
committee  of  synod.  Presbyteries  are  urged  to 
exercise  episcopal  authority  in  grouping  depend- 
ent churches  and  to  give  aid  generally  on  a  sliding 
scale  of  reduction.  All  funds  not  used  in  the 
synod's  work  "  shall  be  forwarded  to  the  treas- 
urer of  home  missions  in  New  York." 

The  report  of  the  committee  of  the  synod  for 
1901  declares  that  "  it  is  a  pleasure  to  repeat  that 
through  the  operation  of  our  system  the  Synod  of 
Illinois  has  had  a  larger  share  in  the  general  work 
(of  home  missions),  the  balance  turned  over  to  the 
treasury  of  the  Board  being  larger  than  hitherto. 
.  .  .  There  has  been  encouraging  progress 
in  the  synodical  work.  .  .  .  The  spiritual  re- 
sults of  the  work  within  our  synod  have  been 
quite  encouraging."  In  the  last  year  131  churches 
were  aided,  and  100  missionaries  were  employed. 
Three  hundred  and  ninety-six  churches  out  of 
476  gave  to  synodical  aid.  Thirty  thousand  four 
hundred  and  ninety-seven  dollars  were  contrib- 
uted and  for  home  missions  through  all  agencies 
a  grand  total  of  $73,152. 

The  present  plan  of  synodical  sustentation  in 


300  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

Kentucky  was  adopted  in  1894.  In  the  adopting 
act  it  is  declared  that  the  synodical  committee 
"  shall  be  known  as  the  Executive  Committee  of 
Synodical  Missions  and  it  shall  have  its  quarters 
in  the  city  of  Louisville."  It  consists  of  fourteen 
members — three  ministers  and  three  elders  from 
the  Presbytery  of  Louisville,  and  two  ministers 
and  two  elders  from  each  of  the  other  presby- 
teries. The  presbyteries  nominate  members  to 
the  synod,  the  chairman  of  each  presbyterial  com- 
mittee on  home  missions  being  one.  The  officers 
consist  of  chairman,  secretary,  and  treasurer :  the 
chairman  supervises  the  work  of  the  committee ; 
the  secretary's  relation  is  similar  to  that  of  our 
secretaries  to  the  Boards  ;  the  treasurer  receives 
all  money  and  disburses  it  by  order  of  the  com- 
mittee and  reports  annually  to  the  synod.  The 
churches  are  expected  to  take  up  at  least  one  col- 
lection annually,  the  money  being  sent  to  the 
synodical  treasurer.  This  is  in  addition  to  the 
regular  collection  for  the  Home  Board  which  is 
sent  to  I^ew  York.  To  receive  aid  the  session  of 
churches  must  apply  to  the  committee  after  their 
applications  have  been  approved  by  their  presby- 
tery. The  applications  are  considered  at  regular 
meetings  only,  and  not  over  $200  annually  is 
given  to  any  one  church. 

The  Synod  of  Kentucky  is  not  yet  entirely  self- 
supporting,  but  its  synodical  work  is  encouraging. 


THE   SYNODS  301 

In  1901  the  report  of  the  committee  to  the  synod 
was  as  follows  :  "  Our  contribution  to  the  Board 
of  Home  Missions  this  year  was  $4,829,  an  in- 
crease of  $977  over  last  year.  To  the  synod's 
fund  the  contribution  was  $4,393,  a  gain  of  $1,232 
over  last  year.  $9,224  was  the  aggregate  of  our 
contributions  to  home  missions  raised  in  the  field, 
an  increase  of  $2,209  over  last  year.  From  out- 
side sources  there  came  $5,650,  making  a  grand 
total  for  home  mission  work  in  this  synod  of 
$14,874." 

The  Ohio  plan  of  synodical  aid  as  recorded  in 
the  minutes  of  1899,  is  substantially  as  follows : 
The  synodical  committee  consists  of  the  chair- 
men of  the  presbyteries'  committees  together 
with  its  own  chairman  and  treasurer.  The  com- 
mittee holds  annual  meetings  preceding  that  of 
the  synod.  It  has  its  own  officers  which  consist 
of  chairman,  secretary,  and  treasurer.  The  treas- 
urer receives  all  funds  and  makes  an  annual  re- 
port to  the  committee.  A  superintendent  of  home 
missions  is  employed,  his  salary  being  fixed  by 
the  synodical  committee.  "  It  shall  be  the  duty 
of  the  superintendent  to  devote  his  whole  time  to 
the  mission  work  of  the  synod  under  the  direction 
of  the  home  mission  committee  of  the  synod  and 
especially  shall  he  be  required  to  take  notice  of 
delinquent  presbyteries  and  exert  all  possible  in- 
fluence to  induce  them  to  reach  their  portion." 


302  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

The  financial  basis  is  thirt3''-five  cents  per  mem- 
ber. The  superintendent  in  addition  solicits  funds 
from  the  churches.  Presbyteries  are  required  to 
estimate  their  contributions  and  needs.  "  Appli- 
cations for  aid  are  required  to  be  invariably  ac- 
companied by  a  subscription  paper  containing  the 
names  of  all  the  members  of  the  church,  thus 
showing  the  contributing  and  non-contributing 
members."  All  money  is  sent  from  the  churches 
to  the  presbyterial  treasurers  who  forward  it  to 
the  synodical  treasurer.  "  The  basis  is  eight  cents 
per  member  annually,  in  quarterly  instalments 
of  two  cents  per  month.  The  remainder  is  used 
in  the  presbytery  and  if  any  is  left  in  the  synod- 
ical treasury  it  is  used  for  general  work  in  em- 
ploying evangelists.  Dependent  churches,  so  far 
as  possible,  are  grouped  together.  Each  presby- 
tery to  receive  aid  must  make  a  fair  effort  to  raise 
thirty-five  cents  per  member.  Each  church  is 
asked  to  give  two  offerings  per  year  to  the  cause." 
"  In  applying  the  principles  and  rules  of  this  plan 
synod  recognizes  the  liberty  of  the  local  churches 
to  give  directly  to  the  treasurer  of  the  Home 
Board  if  they  so  desire  and  the  right  of  the  Home 
Board  if  they  so  desire  as  the  representative  of 
the  General  Assembly  to  ask  for  said  contribu- 
tions. But  when  this  is  done  an  amount  equal  to 
at  least  thirty-five  cents  per  member  additional 
should  be  contributed  by  this  same  church,  for 


THE  SYNODS  303 

our  synodical  home  mission  work.  An  amount 
equal  to  twenty-five  per  cent  of  the  thirty-five 
apportionment  upon  the  membership  of  the  en- 
tire synod  shall  be  guaranteed  by  the  synod  to 
the  Board  of  Home  Missions  at  New  York  for  its 
general  work  which  same  shall  include  all  offer- 
ings made  directly  to  the  Board  of  Home  Mis- 
sions by  the  churches  of  the  synod,"  The  plan 
of  the  Synod  of  Ohio  has  worked  most  success- 
fully and  satisfactorily. 

Michigan  adopted  the  self-supporting  synodical 
plan  in  1901,  which  went  into  effect  in  April, 
1902.  The  report  says :  "  The  synod  shall  appoint 
annually  a  permanent  synodical  committee  of 
home  missions,  whose  object  shall  be  to  promote 
the  organization  of  Presbyterian  churches  in  the 
synod ;  to  aid  needy  churches  in  support  of  their 
local  ministry ;  and  to  do  such  other  missionary 
work  as  the  necessities  of  the  field  may  require." 
The  committee  consists  of  one  minister  and  one 
elder  from  each  presbytery.  The  ministerial 
members  are  the  chairmen  of  the  presbyteries' 
home  mission  committees.  Presbyteries  elect 
the  lay  members.  An  executive  committee  con- 
sisting of  the  chairman,  vice  chairman,  and  secre- 
tary, elected  by  the  committee  with  two  other 
members  constitute  an  executive  committee, 
which  committee  has  power  to  act  for  the  perma- 
nent committee  in  the  interim  of  its  meetings. 


304  PRESBYTEEIAN   UOME   MISSIONS 

"  The  permanent  committee  shall  have  power  to 
raise  and  disburse  money  for  the  benefit  of  the 
missionary  work  in  the  synod ;  to  commission 
general  and  local  missionaries ;  to  appoint  such 
other  officers  and  agents  as  the  needs  of  the  work 
shall  require ;  and  to  fix  all  salaries  not  otherwise 
provided  for ;  to  fill  any  vacancy  in  the  commit- 
tee or  the  officers  of  synodical  missions  until  the 
next  meeting  of  the  synod."  Annual  meetings 
are  held  at  the  time  and  place  of  the  meetings  of 
the  synod.  Annual  reports  to  the  synod  and  the 
Board  of  Home  Missions  are  made.  On  the  rec- 
ommendation of  the  permanent  committee  the 
synod  appoints  a  synodical  missionary.  "  The 
treasurer  of  the  Board  of  Home  Missions  in  New 
York  shall  be  the  custodian  and  treasurer  of  the 
home  missionary  funds  of  the  synod."  By  order 
of  the  permanent  committee  he  disburses  the 
money  and  reports  monthly  to  the  executive 
committee  the  amount  of  funds  in  hands  and  if 
they  are  not  enough  to  meet  the  demands,  the 
permanent  committee  has  the  power  to  apportion 
them  among  the  presbyteries.  Each  presbytery 
is  required  to  make  an  estimate  of  its  contribu- 
tions and  its  needs.  Churches  to  be  assisted  must 
pay  at  least  one-half  of  the  salary  and  the  amount 
given  must  on  the  average  be  five  dollars  per 
member.  They  must  contribute  annually  to  all 
the  Boards.     "Wherever  possible  the  presbyteries 


.THE  SYNODS  305 

are  expected  to  group  the  aid-receiving  churches 
together. 

Such  a  brief  review  even  of  the  plans  and  the 
results  of  synodical  home  missions  cannot  but  con- 
vince us  of  their  practicability  and  importance. 
This  should  be  increased  by  a  glance  at  the  gen- 
eral summary  of  the  work  of  the  synods,  as  given 
in  the  Home  Board's  report  to  the  General  As- 
sembly in  1901.  Michigan  is  necessarily  omitted, 
as  it  had  not  yet  begun  its  work  in  that  year. 

The  magnitude  of  synodical  home  missions 
thus  presents  itself.  This  work  should  appeal  to  us 
with  particular  force.  The  money  given  is  spent 
and  the  work  is  done  in  our  own  synods,  and  it 
thus  comes  a  little  nearer  home.  Loyalty  to 
home,  interest  in  our  immediate  neighbors,  as 
well  as  our  common  interest  in  missions,  should 
lead  us  to  support  synodical  mission  work ;  and 
if  the  work  is  to  be  supported  to  the  extent  that  it 
deserves  it  can  only  be  done  by  the  faithfulness 
of  pastors  in  presenting  the  subject  intelligently 
and  forcibly  to  their  people.  In  every  instance 
where  a  definite  sum  per  capita  is  asked  for 
synodical  work,  pastors  and  sessions  should  con- 
sider themselves  obligated  to  see  that  their  quota 
is  reached.  Thus  only  can  one  of  the  most  prac- 
ticable, economical,  and  successful  forms  of  home 
mission  work  be  made  effective;  and  no  loyal 
friend  of  home  missions  should  fail  to  use  his 
voice  and  influence  for  its  effectiveness. 


306 


PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 


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XII 
SUMMARY 


CHAPTER  XII 

SUMMARY 

Having  had  the  history  of  the  home  mission 
work  of  our  Church  thus  pass  in  review  before 
us  it  may  be  profitable  before  leaving  the  subject 
to  "  hear  the  conclusion  of  the  whole  matter  "  so 
far  as  the  arguments  for  home  missions  are  con- 
cerned. These  arguments  could  only  be  briefly 
touched  upon  in  the  previous  review  and  it  will 
not  therefore  be  vain  repetition  to  present  them 
in  fuller  form.  What  then,  are  some  of  the  rea- 
sons why  every  Presbyterian  should  be  interested 
in  and  earnestly  support  home  missions  ? 

1.  Christianity  should  make  every  Presby- 
terian a  home  missionary.  We  cannot  as  Chris- 
tians escape  this  position  in  view  of  Christ's  com- 
mands. His  general  command  was,  "  Go  ye  into 
all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every 
creature,"  and  his  specific  command  declared 
that  we  were  to  begin  at  Jerusalem  and  Judeea, 
or  in  other  words,  at  home.  Under  both  these 
commands  necessity  has  been  laid  upon  us,  as 
Christians,  to  be  interested  in  and  to  support 
home  missions.     So  long  as  there  is  one  person 

309 


310  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

beneath  the  American  flag  who  is  unevangelized 
this  duty  rests  upon  us — and  how  imperative  it  is 
then  to-day  in  view  of  the  fact  that  there  are 
millions  in  our  Jerusalem  partially  unevangelized 
and  unsaved.  Let  them  pass  in  review  before 
us— 7,000,000  negroes,  10,250,000  foreigners, 
2,000,000  mountain  whites,  300,000  Mexicans, 
300,000  Mormons,  250,000  Indians— and  while 
we  listen  to  the  stately  tread  of  these  passing 
millions  let  us  hear  the  voice  of  Christ  saying 
unto  us,  "  Beginning  at  Jerusalem  "  "  preach  the 
gospel  to  every  creature."  Such  an  argument  is 
invincible  and  should  arouse  us  to  the  greatest 
missionary  enthusiasm. 

2.  Denominationalism  should  make  every 
Presbyterian  a  home  missionary.  The  Presby- 
terian Church  has  always  been  a  missionary 
church  and  peculiar  missionary  ties  bind  us  to 
most  of  our  home  mission  fields.  "Who  can  read 
Presbyterian  history  in  its  relation  to  the  In- 
dians and  not  feel  a  renewed  interest  in  Indian 
missions  ?  Our  Church  was  the  pioneer  mission 
Church  in  Alaska,  in  Utah,  in  New  Mexico,  and 
in  Porto  Kico.  The  first  Protestant  church 
building  erected  in  Porto  Rico  was  a  Presby- 
terian church.  These  facts  should  specially  in- 
terest us  as  Presbyterians  in  the  evangelization 
of  these  people.  And  what  shall  be  said  of  the 
tie  that  binds  us  to  the  mountain  people  of  the 


SUMMARY  311 

South  ?  "What  human  tie,  what  denominational 
tie,  could  be  stronger  ?  They  are  "  Presbyterian 
true  blue."  Their  ancestors  trod  the  sacred  soil 
of  Presbyterian  Scotland  or  the  historic  part  of 
the  Emerald  Isle,  dear  to  the  hearts  of  Presby- 
terians. How  could  a  Presbyterian  read  the 
origin  and  history  of  these  needy  millions  and 
not  feel  a  thrill  of  interest  in  home  missions, 
as  related  to  them  ?  and  what  Presbyterian  is 
not  interested  in  the  Great  West  and  its  future 
possibilities  ?  Thus  our  denominationalism  adds 
its  testimony  to  that  of  Christianity  in  favor  of 
home  missions. 

3.  Patriotism  should  make  every  Presbyterian 
a  home  missionary.  These  millions  of  people 
are  in  our  land ;  they  are  here  to  stay ;  they  are 
here  to  affect  our  country  for  good  or  for  ill. 
Their  possibilities  for  one  or  the  other  are  great. 
In  the  future  character  and  activity  of  these  peo- 
ples the  very  life  of  the  nation  is  involved. 
Grave  political  problems  are  presented  in  many' 
of  these  populations.  Indian  affairs  present  a 
vexed  political  question.  The  Mormon  problem 
is  one  that  may  develop  great  danger  in  days  to 
come.  No  graver  political  and  social  problem 
confronts  us  than  that  of  the  negro  question  in 
the  South.  And  what  shall  be  said  of  the  per- 
plexities of  foreign  immigration  and  foreign  pop- 
ulations  and   the   masses   of  illiterate   and  un- 


312  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

evangelized  immigrants  ?  And  the  Great  West — 
from  a  national  standpoint  how  vital  is  its  evan- 
gelization !  "What  will  be  the  outcome  of  these 
problems  we  cannot  predict ;  but  we  do  know 
that  the  sooner  these  various  populations  are 
Christianized,  the  sooner  will  it  be  made  plain 
that  they  are  to  be  a  national  blessing  and  not  a 
national  curse,  a  beneficent  influence  and  not  a 
harmful  one. 

Thus  we  can  see  what  a  close  relation  missions 
bear  to  patriotism ;  and  Presbyterians  have  al- 
ways been  patriotic.  At  every  great  crisis  in  our 
national  history  the  Presbyterian  Church  has 
been  a  loyal  supporter  of  the  Government.  No 
other  denomination  exerted  a  stronger  influence 
in  bringing  about  our  national  independence  and 
no  other  has  been  more  patriotic  since.  The 
only  clergyman  to  sign  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence was  John  Witherspoon,  and  as  he 
signed  that  historic  document  he  said :  "  Al- 
though these  gray  hairs  must  soon  descend  into 
the  sepulcher,  I  would  infinitely  rather  they 
should  descend  thither  at  the  hand  of  the  exe- 
cutioner than  desert,  at  this  crisis,  the  sacred 
cause  of  my  country."  Such  to-day  should  be 
the  sentiment  of  every  Presbyterian.  As  pa- 
triots we  should  be  willing  to  make  sacrifices 
for  our  land  ;  and  if  the  sacrifice  demanded  is 
that  of  service  and  benevolence  in  the  evangeli- 


SUMMARY  313 

zation  of  our  land  rather  than  death  on  the  bat. 
tlefield  or  the  sacrifice  of  possessions  in  time  of 
war,  should  it  be  less  enthusiastically  given? 
No  one  should  say  so.  Patriotism,  therefore, 
joins  hands  with  Christianity  and  denomination- 
alism  in  favor  of  home  missions. 

4.  World-wide  evangelism  should  make  every 
Presbyterian  a  home  missionary.  This  argu- 
ment has  been  fully  developed  in  the  chapter  on 
the  Great  "West  and  need  only  be  referred  to 
here.  If  it  be  true  that  America  is  to  have  an 
influence  on  the  evangelization  of  the  world,  it 
necessarily  follows  that  the  sooner  America  is 
evangelized  the  sooner  this  will  also  be  true  of 
the  world.  Therefore  every  Presbyterian  who 
earnestly  desires  the  salvation  of  the  whole  world, 
in  accordance  with  Christ's  command,  should  be 
interested  in  home  missions.  America  must  first 
be  won  for  Christ  before  Africa,  China,  Japan, 
and  the  Isles  of  the  sea,  can  be  fully  won  for  him, 
and  therefore  all  who  are  interested  in  the  Chris- 
tianization  of  these  races  should  be  primarily  in- 
terested in  the  winning  of  our  own  land  for 
Christ. 

5.  Commercialism  should  make  every  Pres- 
byterian a  home  missionary.  "We  are  living  in 
a  business  age  of  the  history  of  the  world.  Our 
times  demand  results  before  everything  else. 
The  test  of  success  is  involved  in  the  answer  to 


314  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

the  question,  Does  it  pay  ?  This  commercial  test 
has  been  applied  to  the  cause  of  missions.  The 
question  is  frequently  asked,  Do  missions  pay  ? 
And  it  is  a  matter  of  satisfaction  that  even  upon 
such  a  sorbid  basis  as  commercialism  we  may 
argue  in  favor  of  missions.  The  world's  indebt- 
edness to  missions  cannot  be  disputed.  Missions 
have  made  large  contributions  to  the  world's 
science,  commerce,  and  civilization.  In  most  un- 
developed countries  and  continents  the  mission- 
aries have  opened  up  the  way  for  commerce  and 
civilization.  If  evangelical  and  spiritual  results 
be  omitted,  the  money  spent  for  Christian  mis- 
sions has  been  the  best  paying  investment  in  the 
world's  history  for  nineteen  centuries.  As  much 
can  also  be  said  for  home  missions  in  our  own 
land.  They  have  paid  in  the  political,  educa- 
tional, social  and  commercial  development  of  the 
nation.  Patriotism  has  been  developed  hand  in 
hand  with  piety.  Great  numbers  of  our  univer- 
sities, colleges,  and  schools,  have  had  their  origin 
in  the  frontier  log  houses  of  the  missionary. 
Here  social  life  has  centered  and,  following  in  the 
missionary's  path,  commercial  life  has  been  ex- 
tended. Strike  out  the  influence  of  the  home 
missionary  in  the  development  of  our  land  and  it 
becomes  a  desert  waste, — give  this  influence  its 
place  and  "  the  desert  rejoices  and  blossoms  as 
the  rose."     A  missionary  saved  Oregon  to  our 


SUMMARY  315 

Government.  Our  missionaries  have  done  more 
than  our  armies  in  developing  civilization  among 
the  Indians.  They  have  kept  pace  with  the 
march  of  population  from  the  Atlantic  to  the 
Pacific,  from  Porto  Rico,  the  western  island  of 
the  Antilles,  to  Alaska,  the  land  of  the  midnight 
sun, — and  everywhere  have  exercised  an  influence 
that,  in  terms  of  commercialism,  is  simply  incal. 
culable.  But  best  of  all,  home  missions  have 
paid  and  are  paying  to-day  as  never  before  in 
moral  and  spiritual  results — in  advancing  Christ's 
kingdom  on  earth,  in  winning  the  souls  of  men 
into  it  and  in  preparing  them  for  eternal  life  be- 
yond the  grave.  If  one  soul  is  of  more  value 
than  the  whole  world,  as  Christ  declares,  of  w^hat 
infinite  value  is  the  work  of  home  missions  in 
that  they  have  led  to  the  saving  of  thousands  of 
souls.  Only  by  doubting  Christ's  estimate  of  the 
soul's  value  can  we  doubt  the  infinite  value  of 
home  missions. 

Presbyterian  missions  in  particular  have  yielded 
and  are  yielding  to-day  rich  spiritual  dividends. 
Presbyterianism  in  a  half  century  has  organized 
and  developed  two  thousand  churches  beyond 
the  Mississippi  River.  In  its  first  century's 
work  it  organized  or  aided  6,500  churches.  Place 
the  average  year's  service  in  these  6,500  churches 
at  fifty  years, — set  the  average  number  of  souls 
saved  in  each  one  at  but  ten  a  year,  and  the 


31 G  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

stupendous  result  is  3,250,000  saved  souls  as  a  re- 
sult of  Presbyterian  home  missions !  If  one 
soul  is  worth  more  than  the  whole  world  who 
can  ask  if  Presbyterian  missions  pay,  in  view  of 
3,250,000  souls  saved  in  a  century  !  Then  add  to 
this  the  value  of  missions  along  other  spiritual 
lines, — the  strengthening  of  the  tempted,  the 
comforting  of  the  afflicted,  the  supporting  of  the 
dying,  the  transformation  of  homes,  the  redemp- 
tion of  communities  and  the  uplifting  of  entire 
peoples  and  populations — in  the  face  of  such  a 
review  who  can  doubt  that  commercialism  adds 
its  testimony  with  Christianism,  denominational- 
ism,  patriotism,  and  world-wide  evangelism,  in 
favor  of  home  missions  ? 

It  is  the  Judgment  Day.  We  stand  beside  the 
throne  of  God,  while  patriarchs  and  prophets,  the 
saints  and  the  redeemed  of  all  the  centuries,  pass 
in  review  before  him,  and  like  a  mighty  army 
comes  our  long  array  of  home  missionaries,  each 
one  bringing  his  sheaves  with  him  ; — saved  souls, 
redeemed  lives,  the  lost  sheep  of  the  House  of 
God  and  the  precious  lambs  that  were  kept  from 
straying.  They  lay  them  down  at  the  Master's 
feet.  There  is  great  joy  1  For  not  one  but  thou- 
sands of  souls  have  repented  and  are  saved,  and 
this  is  the  crowning  act  in  the  missionary's  labors 
and  with  that  picture  before  us  let  us  as  Chris- 
tians, as  Presbyterians,  as  patriots,  reconsecrate 


SUMMARY  317 

ourselves  in  sympathy,  in  prayers,  in  service,  in 
gifts,  to  the  great  and  glorious  cause  of  home 
missions.  If  we  will  do  that  then  his  kingdom 
shall  be  hastened  and  the  glorious  vision  of  our 
beloved  secretary  of  the  Home  Mission  Board 
shall  be  nearer  realization,  a  consummation  de- 
voutly to  be  wished : — 

"  In  vision  I  can  see  here  the  temple  of  the 
latter  days.  Across  its  velvet  prairie  floors, 
down  all  its  Gothic  forest  aisles,  from  all  its 
mountain  galleries — east  and  west — happy  and 
triumphant  millions  lift  their  chants  of  praise. 

*  Our  Father's  God  to  thee 
Author  of  liberty, 
To  thee  we  sing.' 

A  thousand  streams  down  hillsides  and  valleys 
ring  accordant  bells — from  Alleghanies  to  Sierras, 

Wind — that  grand  old  harper  — 
Smites  his  thunder-harp  of  pines  ' — 

while  the  two  ocean  organs  roll  their  diapasons 
down  the  shores — stately  accompaniments  of  this 
chant : — 

'  Lift  up  your  heads,  O  ye  gates ; 
And  be  ye  lifted  up,  ye  everlasting  doors : 
And  the  King  of  glory  shall  come  in.' 

And  the  nations  will  hear,  and  over  the  white 
lips  of  the  peoples 


318  PRESBYTERIAN   HOME   MISSIONS 

'  Full  of  the  spirit's  melancholy 
And  eternity's  despair ' 

will  come  the  antiphonal, 

*  Who  is  this  King  of  glory?  ' 

And  then  over  the  velvet  prairie  floors,  down 
Gothic  forest  aisles,  from  bending  mountain  gal- 
leries, a  redeemed  nation  will  lift  its  shout,  while 
rivers  ring  their  silver  bells,  and  harps  of  pines 
resound,  and  ocean  organs  thunder  — 

'  The  Lord  of  hosts, 
He  is  the  King  of  glory.'  " 


Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Libraries 


1    1012   01171    6976 


Date  Due 

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